Hot Knives
by ALaCarte
Summary: NOW A MULTI-CHAP STORY, detailing Mello's interaction with an OC female 'escort'. Includes a lot of mature references, surface descriptions of sex, ect. Inspired by the song "Hot knives" by Bright Eyes.
1. Hot Knives: Bright Eyes

_So give me black light, (Give, give me)_

_So give me hot knives, (Deep clean sleep)_

_On a dance floor no one tells time._

_There is no time._

**...**

The minute the young woman entered the café, her rosy lipstick-rimmed smile faltered and her high-heeled steps clicked to a stop. It wasn't the nice middle-aged man, the singular man that was actually kind to her-that she'd grown to like, it was the woman she'd seen him kissing only days ago; right after their session had been over. This woman was middle-aged, too. Her face worn but her eyes sharp and pointed straight at the young woman hovering near the door.

_She knows. _The young woman realized, _She knows about the affair._

It takes a lot of courage for the young woman to approach the table and take a seat opposite the housewife. "Hello" the young woman spoke up first, brushing her long straight black hair over her shoulder.

The housewife calmly took the phone out of her pocket, the phone that Mrs. Argent had given the middle aged man in order to maintain regular sessions. "You're Eden?" the woman asked coldly.

Eden nodded, smirking to herself at her own name; what her mother's finger had landed on in the bible. Ironic considering the kind of life she had since undertaken. "I assume you're his wife?" she asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. She'd always pictured the kind man as a husband, married for years with three children. He was probably a good father. That was what Eden had found to love about him; a small thing to appreciate, as she always found in her clients.

"Not anymore," the woman stated bitterly, Eden's casual demeanor bringing out her hatred for the young girl quicker then the housewife had expected. As per her plan, the housewife slipped the photocopied document from her purse and onto the countertop. "Look what you've done"

The words _At-Fault Divorce_ screamed back at Eden from the top of the paper. "That's a shame" Eden commented, reaching out her nimble fingers to pick up the slim black phone her service had given the man. "I'm really sorry it had to end that way for you, but this is really none of my business"

The housewife was shocked, shocked and furious, "None of your business? You tramp! You seduce my husband and ruin our marriage: our kid's childhoods, and you have the nerve to tell me it's none of your business? That you're sorry?" the woman said, her voice rising slowly until she was nearly yelling, causing looks from the nearby coffee patrons.

Eden leaned over the table, a pitying expression delicately painted on her beautiful face, "I'm sorry, because he sought out my work. I'm sorry, because he selected me. I'm sorry, because the only thing I could think of when he was pounding me into the mattress is that he was wearing a wedding ring," she had to pause and take a deep breath in order to stop her watering eyes, "I'm sorry, because you're not the only one that suffered in this."

The housewife was speechless, her mouth hung open as Eden quietly pushed her chair back from the table and got up, disappearing out the café door.

Her next appointment was at 8 o'clock; a new client. If she wanted to make it back to the house by then, Eden would have to waste money on a cab. But money was nothing in this business; because whenever she made what Mrs. Argent said she owed in order to win her freedom, Eden would always end up owing more.

_Why would you ever want to leave this life, my dear little Eden? Everything is paid for you, you have a roof over your head every night and a hot meal three times a day. All you have to worry about is pleasing the customer. They give you expensive gifts; shoes and jewelry and anything else you could want. Eden, are you an ungrateful little bitch? _With a shiver, Eden shook Mrs. Argent's voice out of her head and focused on smiling. Smiling and being happy; to please the customer.

"You're late!" Heaven exclaimed the minute she stepped foot in the house's door.

Eden frowned in worry, "I was downtown meeting with-"

"It doesn't matter, Mrs. Argent is furious with you! You're client's waiting in your room, you better get ready before you go up" Heaven said, her quick hands already occupied with taking off Eden's coat before turning their attention to her shirt.

"In my room?" Eden asked, furrowing her brows in confusion as she took off her scarf and slid off her skirt.

Heaven gave her a quick smile before dragging her down the hall towards the downstairs dressing room where the girls that worked in the playrooms kept their makeup. "This client insisted to be taken there instead of the client rooms for some reason. I think he's a gramophone. When I got a peek of him, he was wearing gloves" she said, expertly giving Eden ruby-red lips and fuller eyelashes with the makeup supplies.

"You mean a germ-a-phobe?" Eden questioned, making Heaven roll her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever" Heaven said before stepping back to look Eden over. She was clothed only in a black lace bustier, small black panties, and black thigh-high stockings ending in a black lace garter belt. "Hmm, should you leave the heels on?" Heaven questioned aloud, eyeing the bright red pumps with a finger at her lips, "Yeah, guys totally dig that sorta thing. Alright, you're all ready hot stuff!" she decided, giving Eden a thumbs up.

"So, you got a glimpse of him, what does he look like?" Eden questioned Heaven as they walked up the back staircase; although smaller than the one at the grand entrance, it was out of the view of the other clients and less likely to have Mrs. Argent lurking at the top of it.

Heaven shrugged at her question, "I just saw him as he was going up the stairs. The guy likes leather, though, I can tell you that" she said.

"Leather? Wonder why he isn't in one of the playrooms instead then…" Eden commented, receiving a jab in the side from Heaven.

"Oh, hush" she scolded. "Don't be so judgmental, he could be wearing it as a community service. So that the whole community gets to see his fine ass. I mean, damn, it looked darn good walking up those stairs…"

"Would you rather go in there?" Eden asked, gesturing to her bedroom door that the two of them were now standing in front of.

Heaven rolled her eyes once again, "I've got to go get ready for Mr. Warbucks, you smartass" she said, turning sharply on her heels.

"Good luck getting him to adopt you, Annie" Eden called after her, receiving a middle finger in return before Heaven rounded the corner.

As she grasped the cool brass handle, Eden couldn't help but think how nice it would be to be adopted. _Saved from this place and put into a nice house; with the only drawback having to tend to someone I don't love. _Eden almost laughed at the thought, _Silly me, I already do that._

"I apologize for being so tardy," Eden said softly as she entered the room, painting a smile on her face as she did so. Her room was neat and tidy, although she hadn't been expecting company, so it was lucky that Eden was a neat-freak by nature. The client was laying on her blood-red comforted bed with his legs crossed at the ankles. "I hope it didn't put you off" Eden continued, stepping towards the bed slowly until she stood before him. "Hmm? Giving me the silent treatment, huh?" she cooed, spreading her body over him and teasingly holding herself above him with her arms.

With a shock, she realized he was staring at the lacquered wooden cross on her wall above her bed. "A person like you keeps a cross?" he asked, his voice vacant and filled with disinterest towards her actions.

Eden barely caught herself from being upset with the man, even holding back the contempt in her eyes, "Repenting isn't a waste" she said, leaning in to lightly kiss his neck and avoid anything else that could come from his mouth.

"Stop that, did I ask you for that?" he said, the question coming out in the form of rough disproval that was like a sharp slap to her ego.

_Men love it when I do that! For him to refuse me… This guy's strange…_ her thoughts trailed off as Eden took stock of the man beneath her; golden silky hair, pretty face with an ugly scowl, bright blue eyes that burned, leather jacket (and shirt and pants and boots), with the bulge of a gun in the waistband-Eden was off him in the blink of an eye, nearly throwing herself to the floor in her haste. "Who let you bring that up here?" she asked, her voice calm despite her wide fearful eyes.

"My gun?" he questioned lazily, "No one takes my gun from me, and that fool you have downstairs got his foot shot through for trying"

Eden swallowed hard at the thought of good-tempered Jake, the girl's one-man bodyguard, sprouting blood from his expensive shoes. "You can't have it here. You try to hurt me and they'll hurt you much worse" she said, her eyes locked on the shiny gunmetal against his taunt stomach.

"Chill out, you're not worth it" he said in return, producing a chocolate bar from his pocket.

His brashness immediately forced her eyes to his. If anything, this new client was beginning to intrigue her. He didn't pounce on her like all the others, or worship at her feet; he was treating this like it was Eden paying for his company, instead of vice-versa. "I'm not worth it?" she repeated with a smirk, "What kind of man has so much money to throw away that he wastes it on girls that 'aren't worth it'?" she asked rhetorically, suggestively posing on all fours.

"A man that doesn't want his underlings to think he's homosexual" the man stated, taking a bite from the chocolate bar while amusedly observing her effortless catlike, seductive movements as she eased into her pose.

At his words, Eden got up from the bed with a sigh. "I'm sorry, you could have told me sooner and I'd have stopped making advances towards you. Let me put on some clothes and we can spend the rest of the time doing whatever you'd like" she said, thankful that she was done parading around in her underwear for the moment.

"I'm not gay," he said, annoyed. "I just don't want them to get the wrong idea. I'm too busy to get involved with a woman. The lot of you are too much trouble, anyway"

The t-shirt in her hands returned to her dresser drawer. "Oh, I'm sorry" Eden said, "although honestly it was believable with all that leather" and as soon as she'd said it, Eden winced in preparation for a violent retort. However, much to her surprise, the man only chuckled at her. "I… I'm not supposed to mouth off. Sorry" she said, lowering her eyes to the floor as she recovered from her recoil.

"It's made you more interesting than the other girls I've seen here" he commented, "now, come here and take off my boots"

Eden did as she was told, pondering over his words as she undid the laces to his leather boots. _Usually I get a smack for making cracks like that. This guy is weird. I haven't had anyone like him before. _She realizes, then quietly smiles to herself. _That's what I'll love about this one, he's different. New. Exciting._ As she thinks it, the man tilts her head up gently with long fingers fit for piano playing. She tries to ignore the accompanying calluses that fit a gun trigger.

He sits her on his lap, both his jacket and the leather vest cast off to leave his torso bare. "Kiss me" he orders, and Eden leans forward obediently to meet his surprisingly soft lips. The result is akin to pure lightning; the sparks that immediately jolt down her spine and send shocks straight to her sex. The kiss hardly feels like any kiss she's had before, because Eden finds herself melting into him; desiring him. Everything intensifies when his tongue snakes to hers and, mingled with her shaky intake of breath, his hand slides up her ribcage to fondle her chest.

_Good,_ Eden thinks, _Since when has it ever been this good?_

His hands on her make her moan, and almost as if she can't control them, her hips begin to grind against his leather-clad ones. "Off" he says between their unstable breaths and it takes a moment for her to realize that he must be saying words. Talking about her undergarments. But, as she reaches forward to undo the ribbon of her bustier, he catches her hands and rolls her off of him in order to loom over her body.

"Oh" she says apologetically with her misunderstanding, opening her eyes and becoming instantly unable to hold back her lusty gasp upon seeing his face. His eyes are half-lidded in lust, but glittering mischievously in a way that makes her let out a slow shiver lead by her very core. His perfect pink lips are smirking at her, kissed red by their roughness together, parted and panting.

He's undoing the laced ribbon of her bustier himself, leaning down to hungrily kiss her chest when her breasts spring free of the fabric. Eden can feel the tightness already growing in her stomach, the breathless flurry he's put her in, and the wetness in her panties that so few clients have ever given her before. _Who is this guy? Why does he… Make me feel so strongly like this? _she questioned herself as the man slipped off her shoes, unclipped her garter belt, and rolled down her stockings with teasing fingers trailing fire down her skin.

Fingers, those long piano-playing fingers could work wonders; made her moan and beg for pleasure. But that was nothing compared to actual sex with him, the way he started with torturously slow deep thrusts and worked his way up to faster pounding that left her dazed and screaming wantonly. It was perfection coupled with the way he bent himself over her, as if he was her protector; and the way she could feel his eyes on her, despite her own being closed, as he burnt her with his intensity. Burnt her up and left her breathless with satisfaction, heaving with exhaustion, and shiny with sweat.

It was good. Fantastic. Better than she'd had in a long time; possibly ever.

But he was a client. And like all clients, the man left her on the bed in favor of slipping on his pants.

He took his time re-dressing-although he was no means slow about it-if anything, his actions were businesslike in their paced purposefulness. Not one glance did he give the recovering naked girl sprawled on the bed, his previous amusement lost like his interest in her milky skin. Wordlessly, he leaves a small roll of bills on her dresser, an added tip to the money he'd already given to her keeper. It was when he was in the doorway that it happened; the strange stirring in his gut brought about by her simple quiet words.

"When I do wrong, I am with god" Eden said, quiet enough that he was sure she hadn't mean to be heard. "When I feel lost, I am not at all"

Like the glimmer of a gold speck in a pan, she caught his attention with a quick snap that soon spread throughout his head. It was the same prayer his mother had whispered at night when she thought he was asleep. But Mello didn't acknowledge her words, not even so much as a pause in his step. Mello continued into the hall. Mello walked downstairs. Mello demanded Mrs. Argent give him one of her little black phones, and weather he'd admit it or not, Mello immediately liked having a direct line to his own private Eden.

**...**

_So let us rejoice (Let's rejoice!)_

_In all this pink noise (Our pink noise!)_

_An oscillation that we can pinpoint._

_We're right here!_


	2. Hey: The Pixies

**Hey, been trying to meet you**

**Hey, must be a devil between us**

**or whores in my head**

**whores at my door**

**whores in my bed**

**…**

Eden squeezes her eyes shut, tries to ignore the roughness of the man on top of her. He refused to be gentle, since she was unable to ready her sex for him, the man had taken it as a blow to his pride; which of course made him angry and harsh with his actions.

It had been this way ever since she'd seen the leather-obsessed client, the one that had made her feel so good. After their session, it was nearly impossible for Eden to be excited for any of her other men. The worst part was that the most she could do about the situation was simply accept it and bare the pain of her own doing. Still, it was a strange occurrence, something that had never happened to her before; and it was starting to wear the patience thin of not only of her clients, but Mrs. Argent as well.

"I'm going to cum in you hard, you used-up cunt" the man says gruffly from behind her, punctuated by grunts that made her sick. Sex had never seemed so disgusting and detached for Eden as it did at that moment. With a shudder, the man becomes true to his word before sliding out from her with a satisfied sigh. "Damn, Edie, you're a good fuck even when you're dry" he said with a dirty chuckle as he slipped off the condom and threw it in the trash. "But don't let it happen again, bitch" he adds, grabbing her chin hard and yanking it towards his lips to give her a wet kiss.

When he finally leaves, Eden lets out a repulsed full-bodied shiver and barely resists gagging from the man's taste in her mouth. _Why does sex suddenly disgust me so much? Not that I was ever in love with this circumstance before, but just the idea even, of some stranger having me after he… _As her thoughts catch on the words, a singular face comes to mind and makes her cheeks flush. _That guy, there was something about him. He looked at me in a way outside of sex. He… It's this sort of thinking that's stopping me from pleasing the clients, Why am I thinking of him so damn much?_ Eden asked herself in frustration, getting up from the small client-room's bed and heading to the sink to wash her face, mouth, and sex.

"Eden!" A shrill voice says from the other side of the door, and Eden curses under her breath at the sound. "I saw Mr. James go, come out this instant! There is no resting for tardy, ungrateful girls!"

Eden sighs heavily, walking from the small bathroom to the bed to gather up her clothes. "Yes, Mrs. Argent, I'm just getting dressed" She assures, hastily doing so before emerging from the room in a black teddy and panties with ocean-blue lace trim.

The older woman gives her an appraising look, her small black glasses resting on the tip of her nose and accentuating her intimidating glance. "The downstairs foyer tile needs to be scrubbed, put on some clothes and do so. Afterwards, go down to the market and get a bag of potatoes for tonight's stew" Mrs. Argent said, thrusting a bucket and a rag in her hand before stuffing a crumpled five dollar bill in the waistband of Eden's panties with a snap against her milky skin.

The brief contact of the woman's long bony fingers makes Eden blanch. "Yes, Mrs. Argent" she said dutifully before turning to go.

"Eden!" Mrs. Argent said shrilly, making Eden stop in her tracks and turn once again to face the other woman. "I didn't dismiss you yet. Your performance this week has been abysmal, two of your clients have switched to Marcella. The doctor will examine you at noon to figure out your performance problem" the woman said before turning on her heel and leaving Eden without a further word.

She sighs and makes her way up the stairs, stumbling into a thin too-small t-shirt and jean shorts after shedding the costume of the house. Eden would, perhaps if she hurried, have enough time to scrub the floor before the doctor would come to the house to examine her.

**…**

The weight of the cell phone was heavy in his pocket, but the weight rested more on his mind than it was a burden in a physical way. He couldn't stop thinking about the girl, Eden. Of course, she was beautiful in a conventional sense; with her pale gentle skin, long black hair, wide eyes, full chest and hips, makeup to enhance, the lingerie adhered to her customers… she was designed to be beautiful. But that's not what kept his thoughts on her. Eden was odd, just slightly off-kilter. The way she held herself, as if she was dancing into a dream when she walked into the room to meet him. Her eyes said she was pretending to be someone else. When she'd seen his gun her panic had given Mello a quick glimpse of her cautious spirit, then he'd thought that was the real Eden. But no, the real Eden was the one that let her tongue slip and insult him; she'd been something feisty and wonderful before the house owners had gotten a hold of her. It was that, more than her alluring lingerie or sultry advances, that had made Mello suddenly want her. And it was what kept his mind in persistence now.

Mello fingers the phone, and he could almost swear there was a burning heat coming from the device that he could feel through his leather gloves. His fingers itched and Mello allowed his brow to furrow as he thought of how his mother's whispered prayer had left her lips. The memory made an odd sense of paranoia settle over him. _It's not as if the prayer's some secret phrase specific to my mother, but the use of it by some strange girl at that exact time? Suspicious. But It's not like some girl in a whorehouse could force my interest in order for some rival to get a leg up on me somehow. _Mello thought before quickly rebuking the notion with a frown._ Although Argent does strike me as the shady under-handed type, but if Kira was using them to get after me he would have put all his power towards finding out my real name. No, their's no way I can trust anything about that house, but it's far more likely to be a coincidence. And in that case, it's an interesting coincidence indeed._

"Boss? So what do you want us to do?" The burly man before Mello asked with a confused expression etched across his large features.

With an agitated scowl, Mello realized that he'd failed to follow the 'dire situation' that the man had been explaining to him. "Well, I want you to deal with it" Mello stated coldly, glaring at the much larger man in a way that made him squirm.

"Y-You mean you want us to get rid of him?" the larger man asked, eyes wide. "I know Dave's been pocketing a bit of money, but he still does a lot of the street work. He has two kids. Isn't it sorta too harsh to just off and-"

"No," Mello said, allowing himself a smirk now that the large man had unwittingly told him the missing information. "Too harsh would be cutting off his thieving hands at the wrists and letting him live. Which is what I'm very tempted to do in this situation, but as fitting as it would be, Dave's the one who's been giving me resistance from the start. If he doesn't want to accept me as the boss, and he wants to pull shit like this, then I want him buried. He'll be a warning to the other men I've heard plotting behind my back" he said.

The larger man nodded furiously. "Yes, yes sir. I'll take care of it" he said before scuttling out of the bar under Mello's intimidating gaze.

Mello frowned at the seedy bar, pulling himself to his feet as he dragged his bike helmet off of the table beside him. _I need to clear my head, _Mello decided before making his way out of the bar and onto the sidewalk where his black Ducati motorcycle was parked. He slipped the matching helmet over his head and started up the bike with a roar before weaving into the busy LA traffic.

**…**

Eden shifted the heavy plastic grocery bag of potatoes over her other shoulder as she waited for the pedestrian traffic light to change. "_Female sexual arousal disorder"_, She recalled the doctor's words in her thoughts, _"It's not an uncommon occurrence in your particular kind of work. Tell me, Eden, has anything particularly stressful happened lately? Something that would make sexual pursuits unappealing?" _Eden winced at the memory of how she'd sputtered incoherently at the doctor's question, the only true answer to the question being the strange leather-loving blonde man that kept occupying her thoughts. Not that she'd told the doctor that. _Doctor Jen is nice, but of course I couldn't tell her about that guy. He... I don't know what it is about him, but he's the reason I can't get excited by other men. If Mrs. Argent got wind of it, she would probably try to 'cure' me like she did when Heaven came out as a lesbian. _Eden shuddered at the thought, Heaven having told her in tears about the brutal gang-rape session Mrs. Argent had forced her into as soon as it was over.

_I think Jen's nice enough to make up an excuse for Mrs. Argent, something that she won't get so upset with me about, _Eden thought, _after all she usually tries to keep us out of trouble. And in the meantime, I can just start using the lubrication Jen gave me. _It was enough to sedate her worries for the time being and when Eden lifted her eyes from her daydream, the crosswalk light displayed the 'walk' symbol. Shifting the grocery bag again, Eden stepped off the curb and began to walk across the street.

**…**

Mello cursed as the light before him turned quickly from yellow to red, he found it much easier to lose his thoughts when he was driving fast, and stopping at the red light only annoyed him. However, when the rush of pedestrians began to filter across the pavement, his annoyance dissipated almost instantly. The object of his frustration walked across the street in cutoff jean shorts and a too-small t-shirt that gave a clear view of her smooth stomach.

Before he knew it, as soon as the light turned green, Mello was making an illegal right turn to follow her. The street she sauntered down was narrow and scarcely populated by other pedestrians and traffic, so it was an easy feat to pull up beside her.

"It's distasteful to walk around dressed like that" he said calmly, lifting off his helmet as he spoke.

She whirled around, her face curled first in outrage before it froze and then softened upon seeing his face. "You" she said simply, her surprise evident.

Mello dragged his eyes up and down her figure, enjoying the closer proximity that allowed him to take in the details of her body that his memory had somehow forgotten. "That's right. Me" he stated with a smirk, pupils lingering too long on the hardened nipples that were woefully half-visible through her shirt. It was appetizing, but at the same time it annoyed him that she would walk around in public without proper undergarments or fitted clothes; as if she was inviting men to leer at her.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly, suddenly making Mello aware of the tense silence that had dragged on between them for a good length of time.

He leaned over his motorcycle, smirking widely at her, "You" Mello stated heavily, enjoying the flush that devoured her cheeks at his words.

"I-I" she stuttered, pulling nervously at the hem of her t-shirt. "I have to get these back to the house, sir, but if you'd like to make an appointment with Mrs. Argent I'm sure that I'll be able to accommodate you as soon as possible" Eden said, eyes firmly glued to the sidewalk.

Mello ripped the black phone from his pocket, calling the first number listed in the phonebook. "It's me," he said, Eden looking up at him at his words, "I'm taking Eden right now. You'll get your groceries when I'm through. I'll send her with the payment" he finished curtly and snapped the phone shut before stuffing it back into the pocket of his leather jacket. Eden appeared stunned at his audacity and Mello reached out and grabbed her wrist while she was dumbstruck, pulling her onto the motorcycle seat behind him.

He smirked over his shoulder at her as he observed Eden clutching the grocery bag like a life preserver. "That won't keep you from falling off, arms around my waist" Mello ordered and she nodded before doing as he demanded, her smooth pale arms wrapping around him. He revved the throttle a little more than intended when he felt her body scoot closer to him and her head rest against his back.

_What is this girl doing to me?_

**…**

It was all Eden could do to silence her screams when the leather-clad man roared the motorcycle down the street, the acceleration making her whimper and hold him tighter as she squeezed her eyes shut. Somehow, the ride was even more fearsome with the rushing wind and honking horns assaulting her ears in the company of the darkness her eyelids provided.

When they finally halted to a stop, Eden opened her eyes in shock at the gas station. "Why are we-?" the man silenced her as he got off the bike, dragging her with him inside the convenience store and leaving the motorcycle at the pump.

She expected him to stop at the counter, but they hurried right past it and ignored the shop clerk's friendly greeting to make a beeline for the bathroom. The blonde man opened the door to the larger family bathroom, further down the hall than the others, and nearly shoved Eden inside before following and locking the door behind himself.

"A gas station? You can't expect me to be so low as to-" Eden was once again cut off, but this time by his lips and tongue as he pinned her against the wall with his body. The grocery bag, that she hadn't realized she'd still been clutching on their way inside, fell out of her hands as her fingers went limp. It almost seemed as if she'd forgotten how to breathe as his lips worked against hers. In spite of her previous anger, Eden melted into his hungry mouth with a breathy moan.

At the sound the man gripped her hips roughly, his hands fisting the denim material in a way that translated his want and set her blood on fire. He came at her like a whirlwind; kissing, touching, and savoring any section of her skin he could reach as he stripped her out of her clothing with fever. His hands found her sex, soaking, and he let out a groan of satisfaction before he untied his pants and slid inside her with ease. Eden felt powerless against the attention, the sheer strength of the pleasure he was invoking paralyzed her. Despite her fingertips aching to feel his hot skin, or her mouth eager to explore him, Eden allowed the man to ravage her body instead.

With one leg lifted by his arm, he thrust into her heat with abandon, the two of them moaning at the contact as it repeated itself over and over again. Eden trembled against him, gasping desperately for breath between each cry tumbling from her mouth; one hand fisted in his silky hair almost painfully as the other scraped desperately at his back and begged for more. The heat of his mouth was on her neck and shoulders, teeth scraping lightly against her skin as his hands dug into her hips. He pounded her into the wall, punctuated by his grunts and cries that resembled no real words, and with every nerve on fire the two came crashing back to earth.

Panting was the only noise breaking the silence as their eyes locked, sedated pleasure and lust emerging from the depths of his, and it was only when he twitched inside her that they shattered the gaze and he broke their contact. No words were spoken as he let her trembling body sink to the floor in favor of removing the condom that she couldn't even remember him putting on in the first place. Had Eden looked close enough through the haze her mind was left in, she would have noticed his hands shaking as he re-tied his leather pants.

The roll of bills landed on the tile in front of her, and she was suddenly overcome with shame as he unlocked the bathroom door and left without another word. Eden was abruptly hyper-aware of the grime-ridden tile she was couching naked on, and she slowly stood and washed her body of their mingled sweat at the small sink. When she caught her reflection in the mirror she noticed the tears flowing down her cheeks and squeezed her eyes shut against the image as she bit her lip; sobbing harder into the swirling water of the sink.

_What has my life become?_ She thought, _What is this guy doing to me?_

**…**

**_But, hey, where _**

**_have you_**

**_Been, if you go I will surely die_**

**_Chained_**

**_We're chained_**

**_We're chained_**


	3. Until We Bleed: Kleerup Ft Lykke Li

_I'm naked, I'm numb, I'm stupid_

_I'm staying._

_And if Cupid's got a gun,_

_Then he's shootin'._

**…**

Eden woke up the next morning by sunlight intruding through her parted curtains and sat up in her bed with unease, it was strange for Mrs. Argent to open her heavy curtains, and even stranger for her to do so and then leave the room without making a commotion. Begrudgingly, she swung her legs to the hardwood floor and rubbed her red eyes; still smudged with the makeup she'd cried through in the gas station.

There had been no questions when Eden returned home disheveled and tear-stained; only an appraising look of disapproval from Mrs. Argent when Eden handed her the potatoes. For the rest of the night, Eden has stayed locked in her room thankful that her few appointments of the night had been rather abruptly canceled.

Pushing back her long black hair behind her ears, Eden shuffled over to the window and eyed the drilled-through lock in bewilderment. The breaking-and-entering tactic was a common and effective practice, but the fact that someone had preformed it on her 2nd-story window was not. "Why would…?" Eden said, letting her question die as she lightly touched the broken lock before sliding her window open with ease. She stuck her head outside, and upon finding nothing unusual, reeled herself back in and took stock of her room. Nothing appeared to be stolen or vandalized-even out of place, for that matter-until she saw it. The gold caught the flicker of sunlight coming through her window, which in turn caught Eden's eye, and she moved forward to examine the necklace dangling from the crucifix over her bed.

It was a gold cross; simple, elegant, and brand new. Eden knotted her eyebrows in confusion before standing on her bed to reach the token. She looked around her room in bewilderment momentarily, and her gaze halted on the ceramic ashtray on her nightstand. With both items in each hand, Eden gently rubbed the two together. "No streak?" She muttered to herself, "It's real gold?"

Her earlier years of street-thievery taught Eden the major distinctions between real valuables and fake ones; and real gold would have left a black streak on the unfired ceramic instead of the glittering gold one that was staring back at her now. Few of her more-smitten clients would sneak into her room to place the necklace, let alone gift her with a real expensive item-since most of them thought her occupation meant she was a simpleton. That only left one person who was capable of such a thing, and knew that her mother's cross had been stolen by a thieving customer; Heaven.

_The broken lock was an unnecessary touch_, Eden thought and smiled at the necklace before hooking it around her neck and securing it under her pajama shirt.

"Destiny, you seen Heaven?" Eden asked eagerly as she trounced into the hall, with a bright grin adorning her face.

The girl whirled around to face Eden, surprised by her sudden words. "Hey. Didn't even see you there" Destiny said as she wiped her forehead free from the workout sweat that, judging by her running clothes, her early morning jog had granted her. "I think she was going downstairs to get breakfast when I was on my way up" she provided before disappearing inside her room.

"Thanks!" Eden called after her before bounding down the back staircase to find her friend.

"Morning" Two of the three women occupying the kitchen greeted as she descended from the stairs.

Heaven looked up from her coffee and toast with a smile, "You look peppy today. And after shutting me out all yesterday, too. I was afraid you'd died in there" she joked before turning her attention back to her coffee.

"Yeah, well," Eden answered half-heartedly as she walked to the table, pulling Heaven up by her hand from her chair before dragging her out into the back porch.

"Slow down there, Tonto, what's got you in such a fuss?" Heaven asked curiously, at which point Eden couldn't stand it any longer and lifted the cross from inside her shirt; proudly displaying the gleaming token on her chest. Heaven let out an admiring gasp and reached forward to gently hold the cross in one hand. "Wow, how the hell did you afford this? Have you been getting some jobs on the side?"

Eden rolled her eyes at her friend, "Just because you got it, doesn't mean you get to play aloof about it. I wanted to tell you how much I really appreciate the thought, but I can't accept it. If you have this kind of money, you gotta use it to get out of here" she said, unclasping the necklace as she spoke. "It was nice to try it on, though"

Heaven stared at her in confusion while Eden pressed the necklace into her hand. "E, Are you kidding? I didn't get that for you. Their's no way I could afford that, costume jewelry or not. You know how Argent is with my pay, she cheats me. I couldn't save up enough for that if I wanted"

"I…" Eden let herself trail off and stare at the shining necklace before returning her dazed gaze to Heaven, "This is real gold, too. Who would-? I found it in my room this morning, just resting on my cross. Someone broke in through my window. But why…?" she let the question die and looked at her friend as if expecting an answer.

The blonde paused, "Well, you didn't have anything stolen, did you?" she asked.

Eden shook her head, "No, I'm sure of it"

"Huh. Well, if I were you, I wouldn't think too hard about it. Whoever gave you that obviously thinks you're valuable. They'll make themselves known eventually. It's odd though" Heaven commented.

Eden nodded slowly, "Yeah…Yeah I guess you're right…" she said, the doubt evident in her voice.

"Come on, how about we go in there and have some of Cookie's eggs?"

**…**

The town car was sent by one of her more wealthy clients; a Mr. Donovan. It took her from an unassuming coffee house to the ritzy uptown of LA, where it stopped at the valet of The Ritz-Beverly hotel.

"May I take your bags, Mrs.?" The valet asked as he opened the door of the sleek black car for her.

Eden fixed him with a stereotypical snobbish stare, "I have no bags today" she stated smoothly, flawlessly blending in with the other affluent herds mulling about the busy hotel.

She was wearing black stilettos, stockings, and a tasteful but dangerous cocktail dress in order to mesh with the upper-class norm; Mr. Donovan being very insistent upon subtlety when asking for her services. His employers might not find it favorable for the police chief, a father of newborn twins and a husband of five years, to go through a sex scandal right at the time that his position called for the annual re-evaluation.

As she walked through the large glass doors that the doormen held open for her, Eden removed her dark sunglasses and skimmed the lobby while she made her way toward the checkout desk. She almost stopped in her tracks when she saw it, the flash of shiny black leather and light blonde hair disappearing into an elevator. _No, _she thought, _It couldn't be._ She dismissed the thought firmly and politely asked the desk clerk for the extra room key that 'Mr. Deloin' had left her.

The silent ride up the elevator was tense with the stares of four businessmen crawling on her skin, and when her floor came she was thankful to be freed from the stifling space. The hall was expectedly lavish, since Mr. Donovan never kept their appointments in the same hotel, Eden openly gawked at the grandeur as she made her way down the empty hall. She didn't hear the voices until she made it to the door, and even then they were faint behind the thick wood. While she couldn't make out the specific words, Eden could clearly hear the angry threatening tone of a man grating against Mr. Donovan's familiar one.

The man that unleashed the threats did most of the talking, but by pressing her ear to the door Eden could pick up the growled curt attributions two other men made. That meant there were at least three unfamiliar, probably dangerous, men already occupying the room and threatening Mr. Donovan. Knowing the recent Kira-influenced straightening up of the corrupt LA police, it was most likely an enraged ex-associate. Anything ranging from dealer, to bookie, to common gang-sent intimidators, could be standing on the other side of the door; but Eden's first instinct was to jam her key into the electronic lock and ease the door open as silently as she could.

Having already suspected the suite was spacious, Eden was unsurprised to find the unnecessary aesthetic entryway hid her from whomever was still arguing inside. _God, what am I doing? I should just call the cops-no, what could that do? But still, if Donovan's in trouble… How can I possibly help? _She thought before focusing on the words sounding from the living room.

"You're insane" Said Donovan's familiar voice, his tone even and evidently unsurprised by the threats posed to him so far, "Absolutely fucking nuts, if you think I'm going to stay in business with you-let alone the rest of my force-with that fucker Kira still ruling the world"

The voice that Eden recognized as doing most of the talking answered Donovan with a laugh. "And you're a fucking moron if you think I'm going to give you the choice. Some cop you are, giving into Kira's will so quickly" the man said with a disgusted snort.

"As if you're the one to be passing judgment, you fucking-" Donovan's words were cut off with a solid-sounding hit of either fist or bat to face, followed by the clattering of a chair falling to the floor accompanied by Donovan's "Oof" of impact.

_They must have tied him up, _Eden thought with a wince.

"You don't move without my say, Tito" The thug's boss ordered coolly as Eden silently advanced down the short carpeted hallway towards the voices. There was a scraping noise of the chair being harshly righted followed by a pained, distorted, growl from Donovan as someone gripped his mouth. "Although you have no idea how much I appreciate seeing you getting thrown around, Chief. Just who were you meeting here tonight, anyhow?"

Donovan sputtered, "That's none of your damn buisne-" he cut himself off with a hiss of pain.

"We both know better than that, chief" the boss said patronizingly. "Your wife is a homely-looking twat, isn't she? Not even the kids can change that, huh?"

Eden reached the break in the hall where an open doorway led into the living room where the men were evidently gathered, and as Donovan spoke, she nervously began to edge her face around the doorway.

"Fuck you-" Another hit, only this time Donovan let out a cry of pain with the blow.

"I don't think you're understanding how this works" the boss said, obviously annoyed, "My men could either beat the living shit out of you, or we could come to an agreement and my men could only break the limbs that aren't necessary for you to do business with"

Her heartbeat was thunder in her ears as Eden took in the sliver of the living room scene her position granted her. Both Donovan and the boss were too far back in the corner for her to see, but the two large intimidating men were well within her view, and Eden was suddenly cursing herself for ever having entered the suite. Foolishly, she'd let the mixture of curiosity and desire to help Donovan lead her inside; and now she was probably going to get murdered.

When Donovan said nothing in response to the boss, he continued, "Are you going to make a decision, or am I going to have to make one for you?" the man said before whispering, probably leaning in closer to Donovan, "and I'm not going to make the nice one"

"Even if I agree to help you shits out, what guarantee do you have that I'll stay true to my word?" Donovan asked, "You can hurt me all you want now, but once I get out in that public eye you can't do shit or Kira will find you and kill you"

His words were met with a short, bitter laugh. "What makes you think I'm afraid of him?" the boss asked. "You just do whatever the fuck I tell you and let me worry about any punishments that may incur. You have to sleep sometime, chief, you and whoever you care about. If you disobey me, I'll start slitting the throats of the people you love"

Eden crouched in the floor, knowing that the lower to the ground she was the easier it would be for the thugs to overlook her, and once again inched her gaze carefully around the corner. Donovan saw her first, blowing her cover immediately as the thug's boss turned to view the subject of the distraction.

"You" Both Eden and Mello stated in disbelief.

The two of them were paralyzed at once when Eden locked eyes with the distinctive leather-glad blonde man; a gang boss. Her heart, previously thrumming so strongly through her head, seemed to stop cold. Pain bit at her brain as she remembered his abandonment on the dirty gas station floor with only a roll of twenties to keep her company. Time seemed to stop, but only for a brief moment, until everything came crashing back to action.

At the same time that her lips trembled to form the word of acknowledgement to Mello, Donovan was screaming. "RUN! EDEN, FUCKING RUN! GET OUT!" he yelled, struggling in the ropes tying him to the chic metal chair.

With pure instinct running through her veins, Eden vaulted herself up from the floor; but it was too late, one of the thugs had a firm grip on her wrist. As she turned to flee while struggling in his grasp, the other thug grabbed her roughly by the hips and the two of them hauled her thrashing body all the way into the living room. They dumped her in a large sofa chair near Donovan, and she let her wide fearful eyes dart around the room as the chief loudly spewed apologies.

"Fuck, Eden, forgive me. I had no idea this would happen. I didn't want to bring you into this" Donovan blubbered, becoming more upset the longer she stared at the contents of the room instead of looking at him.

Her rabbit-caught-in-a-trap terror at the situation dug distastefully into Mello's skin, "The hell did you do that for? Get her out of my sight" the blond man said while glaring at the two thugs.

One of them arched his eyebrows in surprise. "But, boss, don't you think… Doesn't it seem like we found a good bargaining chip for Donovan?"

All eyes went to the police chief, who was stock still with eyes wide and glancing quickly from Eden to the gun in the front of the blonde man's pants.

It took a long time for Mello to answer, "…Yes, I believe we have" he finally said, striding casually over to the sofa chair and towering in front of Eden.

_She's fucking him. _Mello thought, letting his eyes wander from the police chief and back to Eden. _This fucking dirty, worthless, piece of shit-she's fucking him. _The thought consumed him, the image of Eden and the Chief tangled together under the crisp hotel room sheets assaulted him with an unexpected anger. A hatred for the police chief swelled up inside him and curled into a plan.

"You sure know how to pick them, Chief" Mello stated, ghosting his leather-coated hand along her cheek and smirking at the way her eyes involuntarily glassed over. It was an immediate look of pure lust; Eden wanted him the minute he'd touched her.

_Even though she's fucked the chief, I'm the one she wants. _It nearly made him grin as his hand traveled down her sensitive neck and made her intake a sharp breath. _Even though she's fucked others, she wants me. Even though I threw her away like trash- _Mello immediately cut off the thought that made the rage boil behind his eyelids. It was the worst type of rage, because it was only towards himself. _She was supposed to be a quick fuck. She was supposed to stay out of my fucking head. What's so fucking special-_ Mello thought angrily as he surveyed her body, stopping short as his eyes caught on the gold cross at her neck, peeking at him between her breasts in the cleavage of her cocktail dress. He smirked, nimble fingers detouring to retrieve it, when a voice broke him from his thoughts.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!" came the loud outburst from Donovan, red-faced and furious.

Mello looked over his shoulder to smirk at the man. "I think you'll find that you want to adjust your tone, Chief" he said, glancing at Tito who delivered a swift punch to the police chief's gut.

Donovan let out a howl of pain, doubling over in his chair to clutch his stomach. "Please" he sputtered, "Please, don't hurt her"

"Something this enticing? How could I?" Mello asked rhetorically, sliding into the sofa chair while positioning Eden in his lap.

The chief's eyes widened as he understood, "You son of a-" another punch, this time to the jaw, sent him reeling and when he lifted his head his lips were bloody.

"You don't like it when I play with your toy?" Mello mocked, dragging his tongue across Eden's neck as one hand slithered up to cup her chest. No answer came from the Chief as, in spite of herself, Eden let out a moan at Mello's touch. "Oh, I think your toy likes it"

"Fuck you" Donovan retorted, wincing as the second thug rammed a bat at full force into his shin.

"What's the matter, she doesn't make noises like this for you? Don't know how to handle her, do you?" Mello asked, his free hand sliding under her dress before gently stroking her and obtaining a breathy moan in return. "Mmm, she's soaked, Chief" he commented.

Donovan suddenly struggled wildly, desperately straining against his bonds and kicking his feet which only succeeded in sending him tumbling backwards and clattering to the floor in his chair. "STOP!" he howled. "I'll do what you say! Beat the fuck out of me, I don't care! Just stop!"

"You'll do what I say?" Mello parroted, finding it harder and harder to think with Eden's moans and gasps punctuating the air.

"Yes," the chief said, looking more angered and horrified at the sight as Eden arched her back into Mello's hand. "Yes, anything! Just stop!"

Mello smirked at the man before lightly biting the junction of Eden's neck and shoulder; crystallizing a louder moan in the second his lips made contact with her hot skin. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked against her.

"Don't stop!" she ordered in a moan, her eyes squeezed shut and hips trembling with the cusp of her climax building quickly.

"You heard her" Mello said, "she doesn't want _you_ anymore"

Eden felt drunk on his gentle touches, her desire suddenly crashing over her from the minute the blonde man had touched her. She hadn't meant to melt into his fingers so easily, or moan so lewdly in front of the other men occupying the room, but it was as if the man had some sort of power over her.

"I don't think he believes you" said the blonde man's hot breath against her ear as he smirked at Donovan's pained and embarrassed expression. "Say it"

It took her a moment to understand, since her pleasure had Eden dizzy and lightheaded. "Donovan can't fuck this good" she blurted the first damaging thing that came to mind, moaning and gasping as she did so.

"And?" his lips prompted against her ear.

"And you're only using your fingers, but already it's better" Eden's brain blurted again as her hips bucked against Mello's hand.

Mello let out a satisfied noise against her skin, cutting it off before it threatened to turn into a moan from simply watching Eden. "Well Chief, this is fun, but I think you and the guys have an appointment to get to" he stated, trying to keep his voice at an even tone despite the distraction of Eden writhing on top of his lap.

"But, boss, we-" The thug addressed as Tito started, unsure of himself.

Mello cut him off quickly. "I'll be joining you shortly. Take him out the back way through the hotel and put him in the holding cell back at headquarters. Starting asking him about the NPA. With the bat if need be. Go" he ordered.

Even Eden was surprised that, the minute the men shuffled out of the door and closed it behind themselves, she was thrashing with the strength of her climax. The blonde man continued touching her until she was reduced to a panting, gasping, hot mess resting against him. "What are you waiting for? Take off your pants" Eden ordered, as even in her drained state she could feel his arousal straining against the leather. The bulge of his want pressing against her quickly made her burning desire for him once again catch; like a moth to a flame, she helplessly lusted after him again.

"I don't think you're in any position to order me" Mello commented, his voice now thick with the pleased craving her display had left him with.

"I could say the same" Eden said, lightly grinding herself into him.

Mello smirked at her boldness, holding back the moan that threatened to tumble out. "Get on the bed" he said thickly.

She stumbled upright, careening dangerously on her heels before getting her weak legs to function properly and take her to the large king-sized bed. Mello approached her, wordlessly kneeling to remove her heels before trailing his hands up her legs and stopping at the hem of her dress. Eden was openly puzzled by his actions; their previous encounters being fast and hard, contrasting the gentleness he was exerting now.

He reached behind her and slowly unzipped her dress, his eyes boring into hers before she leaned forward and kissed him hard. "Mello" he muttered into the kiss as his hot hands slid her dress off her shoulders and let it pool at her waist.

"Mmm?" Eden asked as they parted lips, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

"My name" he said, hands tilting her to lay back on the bed before lifting her legs and ridding her of the dress entirely. "It's Mello"

**…**

_So we're bound to linger on,_

_We drink the fatal drop._

_Then love until we bleed,_

_Then fall apart in parts._

**A/N: Thank you all for the favs and reviews on this story! I never meant to start up another Mello story, but somehow this whole thing happened :/ I just love to write Mello, I guess. Anyway, your reviews and favs mean a lot to me so keep 'em coming! -Luv, Cart**


	4. All you ever wanted: The Black Keys

_You're just like time, except you can still feel the shame._

_All hands on deck now, the sea is getting rough again._

_You see him out your window, even when you close the blinds._

_And all you ever wanted was someone to treat you nice and kind._

**…**

She woke up with a soothing intake of breath followed by a short groan at the fuzzy sunlight falling over her face. Eden rubbed her eyes and sat up in the plush bed slowly, allowing the white sheet and down comforter to slink from her naked form as she did so.

"What time is it?" Eden called out to the suite, easing herself out of the bed and frowning when she saw the state of her hair in the nearby decorative mirror. "Um, Mello?" She said again, her unease growing as she stood naked in the cold hotel room.

Aside from the tiny click of the clock on the nightstand, she received nothing but silence in response, and Eden began to feel a nagging at her skull. _Did he really…? This would be the third time that he's just up and left. But, who am I kidding, I don't know why I thought he would have bothered to stay and- _Her thoughts were abruptly cut off by the electronic clatter of the door's lock coming to life.

Eden hurriedly snatched a pillow to cover her body as she began to nervously stammer, "J-just a minute! I'm not decent! Please, come back later-" she stopped, slack-jawed, as she spotted him standing in the door. "Oh… Uh… Mello…"

He looked equally, if not more, surprised to see her. "You're still here?" Mello asked indifferently, turning quickly to shut the door-as well as distract himself from the nakedness she was doing a very bad job of hiding.

"You… weren't coming back to see me?" Eden asked aloud as she processed the fact, the realization hardening her expression.

Mello snorted, continuing to avoid the sight of her as he slung the black duffel bag off his back. "I came back to clean up this mess" he stated, the words a half-truth. "I've already paid you." His eyes involuntarily wandered to the roll of bills on the dresser, laying next to her tantalizing cocktail dress. Mello hoped that the half-truth would go undetected because, despite his words, something in him had wanted Eden to still be lingering in the suite after he'd finished his business with the men. After all, a lackey could have easily cleaned up the spattered blood and other evidence the chat with Chief Donovan had left behind; but Mello had taken the opportunity instead.

"Of course" Eden said curtly, scowling at the money as well as the fact that the man who'd been inside her only hours ago was now refusing to look at her. It was with a venomous resentment that she discarded the pillow and began to untangle her various undergarments from the sheets. _What right does he have to treat me so coldly? Even the most vile of my customers treat me nicer than he does. Even if he's considerably better at- _Eden paused in her thoughts, _Wait, no, why do I keep putting him on this pedestal? Dammit, he's dangerous-obviously. Not to mention that he's hardly more than a stranger to me… So why? Why do I care what he thinks of me? This is nothing more than a business interaction, but…_

The silence between them was deathlike, although Mello couldn't stop his eyes from following her body as she moved. Aside from how painfully attractive it was, her body language made it clear that she was frustrated-upset. And, somehow, the thought appeased him. _She can't be annoyed at seeing me, It's obvious she'd been hoping I'd come back. She's mad about something else… Probably that I'm not falling all over her, treating her like a princess like all those other idiot men do-_ He cut off his thoughts with a disapproving hum as an instant burning hatred sprung up in his skull at the thought of any hands on her aside from his own.

Across the room, Eden stopped getting dressed at the annoyed murmur from Mello, and turned her attention to him. "_What_?" She snapped, glaring at him. Even with the threat of him possibly divulging her unsavory attitude to Mrs. Argent, Eden cared little about reigning in her temper. If anything, she could blackmail him right back if necessary. Mello was a (now confirmed) mafia member, who tortured one of her long-time clients right in front of her. Not to mention, he also possessed the audacity to treat her no better than an insignificant speck on his windshield when he wasn't fucking her. All of which were perfectly good fuel for her building annoyance of the man.

Eden's sudden rush of moxy caught his attention so quickly that there should have been an audible snap as Mello's eyes bore into her. She was standing clothed only in a matching lacy black bra and panty set, one stocking on and the other clutched in her fist-both of which were resting on her hips as she boldy opposed him with an angry pout and sex-mussed hair. All in all, it drove a hot strike of pure need down his spine.

"Look, I'm sorry I can't fuck you and disappear with a snap of my fingers, but I'll be gone as soon as possible" she spat in return to his blank stare, while stretching out one leg on the bed in preparation of rolling up her last stocking.

His rough hands at her hips made her jump, even more so with his sudden and silent approach. "You're a witness, you know" Mello stated, ignoring her previous statement littered with bitterness.

Eden make a considerable effort to keep her mind on track enough to let out a short, dry laugh at him. "So?" she clasped her stocking to her garter belt in order to distract herself from his fingertips making slow circles on her hipbones. "Are you going to tie me to a chair, too?" she asked, loathing how her voice hitched to betray her rising attraction.

"Mmm, only if you're a bad girl" Mello said roughly, his hot breath in her ear making Eden gulp as her body shivered under his touch. He chuckled shortly at her reaction to him before continuing, "I'll be watching you. And you better keep that talented little mouth of yours shut unless you want to be punished" he finished, punctuating his words with feather-light touches over her lacey underwear.

As suddenly as he had approached her, he was gone, and Eden whined at his lack of attention to her need. In a haze, she stood at the edge of the bed until her aroused body allowed her to function. She turned her gaze to Mello, catching only his fleeting smirk before he turned to resume fiddling with the duffel bag.

Eden wanted to scream at him, to take Mrs. Argent's little black phone from him with force, to tell him never to contact her again, to never touch her again; but she was incapable of it. Now that she'd experienced the types of things this strange Mello could do to her, Eden couldn't get enough. The sex, his smirk, the way he carried himself, the rough tenderness she could bring out in his voice, the smell of chocolate and leather and gunmetal that shrouded him; It was like a sick sort of addiction, and one she'd never been taken by before.

So, instead of all the things she wanted to do, Eden finished getting dressed in silence and picked up the roll of bills from the dresser. "This is double the usual" she remarked, quietly astounded as she counted the money. It was evident that Mello was doing damn well in the mafia if he could throw that kind of cold hard cash around with hardly a moment's notice.

Mello didn't turn to look at her, but his shoulder's tensed before he replied, "The chief would have paid you last night, and my business cost you what you were going to get out of him" he said gruffly.

"I'm not allowed to take money if he doesn't get to fu-" Eden stopped herself as Mello faced her with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Be thankful the dirty bastard didn't slobber all over you," he said coldly, "Take your damn money and go"

Eden's eyes were wide momentarily, but soon hardened to their previous annoyed gaze. "Do you really think you're doing me any favors?" she asked. "I earn my pay. I don't want your pity bullshit. I don't need your damn money" she lifted a hand to toss the cash at him, but he caught her wrist effortlessly.

"If you don't need it, then why do you fuck scum?" Mello asked, advancing on her.

"Don't pretend you know shit about me!" Eden retorted with her eyes watering from either the sharp hold on her wrist, or the shame that was flooding her; it was impossible to tell which.

"What is there to know about a filthy slu-" The abrupt slap surprised even herself, and the two of them gaped openly at each other for a few dead seconds.

Eden's eyes were glued to the slowly vanishing red of his assaulted cheek and she only had the time to stumble the first syllables of her apology before his mouth viciously met hers. Her back was against the wall in an instant and her mind in a dizzying heap as he sent her headfirst into a sudden unyielding hunger for him. There was no stopping the manic embrace until she was sloping against the wall with exhausted panting, and only then did Mello pull away from her.

"Going home in heels and a cocktail dress is like screaming that you got fucked last night," he said, his voice wavering only slightly with the force of their contact. It seemed that the dizzying haze their kisses left her in effected Mello just as much as it effected Eden, although he was much better at hiding it. "Buy something at the shop downstairs. A sundress. White. White suits you" he finished before retreating to the bathroom and loudly turning on the sink full blast.

It took a long while for her legs to stop quivering like the jelly he'd reduced her to, but when they did, Eden let a smile work its way over her face. _What an idiot, _she thought as she clutched the money in her fist, _White? Such a pure color would never 'suit' me. The last person to tell me that was mom, when I played the angel in the Christmas play… What a fucking idiot, to say something like that._

But still, despite her thoughts, the sundress she changed into in the lobby bathroom was the brightest white she could find in the gift shop.

**…**

Mello spent a hefty time staring at the swirling water cascading down the sink drain before his mind came back to him. "That girl" he said angrily to himself as he splashed the icy water on his face, "that damn girl. Who the fuck does she think she is?" he continued, shaking his head before looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He had a plan, when he first escaped Whammy's. Of course he had one, he always had one. His plan for Whammy's had been studying, working hard-painfully hard, to get the great L to notice him. But, of course, that had gone up in flames when Kira assassinated the detective. But Mello, as adaptive as ever, had a new plan; Forget Near's bullshit, escape Whammy's, and then the US, LA, the mob. It had been a risky plan, and a dark plan, but it hadn't failed him yet. None of his plans failed, and none of them ever would.

_But this girl,_ he thought, staring into his reflection, _she sure as hell isn't part of the plan._

Immediately, thoughts of the strange girl took him over. He thought of her looks, the way her hair draped her shoulders, her muted attitude he relished to see blazing… But then he thought of the house. The place that Argent called a 'halfway house', or an 'escort estate', depending on whom the prim bitch was trying to sell her merch to. Where had Eden lived before then? She seemed like the type of girl he'd only known through movies, the perfect girl conveniently living just next door. She must have been a catholic girl, gone to a good private school, thanked god every day and night. Brothers. He could see her having brothers, that would account for her grip on her looks. She was confident, but not in an assured sense. It was one of the things that made her so appealing. Eden had definitely come from a good home, a good family.

_Then what the hell is she doing here? _He thought, and as soon as he did, he balked.

"Get a fucking grip on yourself" Mello firmly ordered his reflection, glaring into his own eyes and ignoring the still dissipating redness of Eden's slap marring his face. "You don't give a shit about anyone, sure as hell not a tramp like her. Mello is your first, and only, fucking concern"

He spent the remainder of the morning cleaning the hotel suite, scrubbing every inch of the posh furniture and the expensive carpet. Mello refused to stop until every blood splatter, hair, fiber, and fingerprint was wiped clean from the room. Until his thoughts were of nothing but routine plans and business yet to be executed. Until every trace of Eden was wiped away.

**…**

The minute Eden opened the door, Mrs. Argent was furiously approaching from the kitchen with a certain scowl that was a sure promise of abuse. "Last night ran a little too-" Mrs. Argent slapped her as soon as she was within reach, causing Eden to cut off her excuse with a loud exclamation of pain.

"Don't you speak to me with that lying mouth." Mrs. Argent said, her voice cold as she observed Eden curled on the ground in agony. Thanks to the heavy rings on the woman's fingers, Eden's face had already begun to swell with bruises and she was nearly paralyzed with the pain of the swift injury. "Get up, GET UP, you worthless little tramp!" Mrs. Argent exclaimed before lifting Eden to her feet by yanking her long black hair. "What have you done with him? Who put you up to this?" the woman screeched.

Eden was shaking, desperately scraping at the woman's painful hold on her hair as she stumbled to her feet. "I don't know! I don't know what you're saying!" she shouted, desperately trying to free herself from the woman's brutal clutches.

"Don't lie to me!" Mrs. Argent thundered, dragging the girl into the back of the house where her office and large living quarters were. Carelessly she threw Eden to the floor in front of the small TV set in her office, letting go of Eden's hair if to do nothing but stop the annoyance of her screams. "Tell me the truth, you manipulative whore" Mrs. Argent spat, pressing Eden's head hard enough against the TV glass that her skull ached under the pressure.

The news report was already underway with a reporter blathering onscreen, although Eden could only make out blurry pixels. "It's hour fourteen now in the case of missing person, LA's Chief of police, Jeffery Donovan. If you're just now joining us, Chief Donovan has been missing since reportedly 5 o'clock last night. Although is wife maintains that Donovan called her last night to inform her he was working late until 9 PM, officers have testified that he left the station at 5 PM. Much of the speculation in this case is gang-related, as a recent turnout of dirty cops have been uncovered, many are saying that Donovan left yesterday evening to straighten up police ties with gang-"

Mrs. Argent shoved Eden harshly backwards, sending her to the floor in a heap once again. "If they find out about you, the safety of this entire house is in jeopardy" she said, "Now, be a good little girl and tell me what you've done." The woman said, clenching her teeth.

Eden cowered on the floor, trying to roll herself into a ball in order to escape further abuse from the woman leering over her. "Nothing, I did nothing" Eden whimpered softly.

The pointed heel of Mrs. Argent's shoe connected with Eden's stomach before she could curl up into even a semblance of protection, "You were with him last. It's a no-brainer" she said before leaning down to face-level with Eden. "Who. Put. You. Up. To. It."

"I left! I did my job and he paid, and then I left! If someone came in after me-" Eden stopped, squeezing her eyes shut and whimpering as Mrs. Argent's hands clamped around her throat.

"You stayed at the hotel all night" she said, "I see everything my girls do. You lie again and I'll crush your windpipe"

Breathing was difficult, already fingers were blocking most of Eden's air. "Please! I stayed! I stayed and he left! I know you hate it, when girls stay in the hotel after, I was afraid to tell you!" the pressure increased, as did Eden's tears. "Please! I don't know where he went! Please! Believe me!"

Mrs. Argent's furious face was inches from her own. "You know something, that's for damn sure, and I'm going to fucking find out about it" the woman said threateningly before releasing Eden's throat. Accompanied by Eden's shaky gulps of air, Mrs. Argent continued, "There will be no more gallivanting around town for you. If customers want you, they'll come here. This is the third time you've disregarded my authority during your stay here, and I think it's come time that you are reminded of your place in this house. You're going to go upstairs and wash as much filth off of you as you can, and then you'll be meeting me in the black playroom. You've got thirty minutes"

It was complete fear that drove her to her feet and guided Eden quickly up the stairs, and it was only in the shower that the depression followed. The black room was the worst room of the house. It was the BSDM playroom, as well as the home of Mrs. Argent's punishments. Eden spent so much time crying in the shower, that she forgot to wash her hair before she heard the sharp bangs of the house bodyguard's first on the door. Before she left the bathroom, Eden held her cross and said the only mantra that could give her comfort;

"When I do wrong, I am with god. When I feel lost, I am not at all."

**…**

_Take a step before runnin', yeah, take a breath now before you die._

_When you work the streets, Darlin', just make sure your sneaker laces,_

_Well, they get tied._


	5. The Lengths: The Black Keys

_Tell me where you're goin', or what is goin' wrong_

_I felt you leavin' before you'd even gone_

_Hold me now, or never-ever hold me again_

_No more talk, it can't take me from this pain I'm in,_

_Pain I'm in._

**...**

Mello recognized her immediately. Well, did and didn't. He knew it was her of course, but the submissive way she stood just behind Argent was off-putting, as well as the nervous look adorning her face. Weather she knew it or not, Eden walked with an upright leisure that accentuated her beauty and hid her fierceness in her stance. The tiger that was usually lurking under her skin had disappeared into an uneasy slouch. Something was wrong.

"Ah, good afternoon, Mello" Mrs. Argent spoke up first with a smirk, noticing his concentrated stare at her broken merchandise. "You've been scarce lately" she finished.

Matt had turned around immediately in surprise at the strange voice, it was odd for mafia members to address Mello outside of anything except 'Boss', let alone strange slightly-aging women. "Mel, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?" Matt asked jokingly, his usual kiddish smile disappearing at the sight of Mello's instant glare in reply.

To even joke that a thing like Mrs. Argent would have any appeal to him, let alone any human, made Mello's blood boil. Argent was a greedy parasite-worse than even the ones Mello dealt with in the mafia, since they treated their non-breathing merch better than she treated her living income. Being a bile-inducing bitch, of course Argent'd done something to Eden. It was obvious by the way the demoness smirked, but as to what it was exactly she'd unloaded on Eden, Mello was agonizingly unclear of. Except one thing; that it made him very, very pissed off.

"Argent" Mello grunted through gritted teeth, staring the woman down to the very depths of her black hole of a heart with his acidic glare.

She carried on, ignoring both Mello's attitude and Matt's remark. "You really should come back and visit us, although you'll have to make an appointment. Dear little Eden's schedule is quite busy nowadays I'm afraid." Argent seemed to relish the effect her words had on him. As if driving in a stake, she was cracking his composure quite easily, and his anger was rapidly building the more her bright red lips formed syllables. "After I caught her out all night, she's been on a strict routine."

Mrs. Argent's hand landed heavily on Eden's shoulder as the younger woman winced and shut her eyes tightly in shame. Never before had Eden felt outright _shame_ in herself; not in the way she made her money, or for the wives and girlfriends she was keeping up at night. Eden's pride had always remained intact-after all, she was still a good god-fearing girl at heart despite everything else.

But, the way Mello's face twisted up the moment Mrs. Argent began talking… It made Eden sick. It made her feel dirty, and wrong, and worthless. To have herself so exposed in front of Mello, in an entirely different way than usual, was already wreaking havoc on her already exhausted body. It was sheer situational frustration, combined with burning degradation, that began to prick her eyes with watery pre-emptive tears.

With a possessive squeeze of Eden's shoulder, Mrs. Argent continued, "It's amazing, despite of how many guests she's keeping now, how very, very popular little Eden remains. Clients just can't wait to eat her up" the woman said with a sadistic grin.

The very second Mello had given Matt 'the stare', the gamer had known instinctually to keep his mouth shut for the ensuing conversation. The only trouble being the alarm bells in Matt's head starting to ring louder. If there was anything Matt knew about the boy he'd grown up with; it was how Mello looked when he was seeing-red, foaming-at-the-mouth, blood-lusting, _pissed_. There were few living people, and more buried six feet under, that had managed to drag Mello over that line of rage. The ever-untouchable Near, of course remaining part of that living percentage, and now this 'Argent'. With a nervous glance toward the blonde hothead, Matt realized that things were about to get very bullet-ridden very quickly unless he himself intervened. But the question was, how?

Mello's anger was crashing over him in waves with each word Argent spoke, one particular comment digging exceptionally deep into his skin. _"After I caught her out all night, she's been on a strict routine"_ Mello's inane mind repeated, causing him to grit his teeth harder, _Just what the hell does Argent Mean by that? The way she's saying this… Argent things I was out with Eden, even though Donovan was her registered client… _It made Mello's skin itch, the way everything seemed to click together in that moment of his internal deliverance. Argent was punishing Eden to get to Mello. Argent knew he was a criminal, she knew he was probably the cause of Donovan's disappearance-ultimately threatening the secrecy of her whorehouse, and she was making him pay in the only way she could. Argent couldn't hope to ever touch Mello himself, but she _could_ get her hands all over Eden.

"Fuck you," Mello stated in a calm whisper that only increased the nervousness of the friend at his side. Internally, the blonde was howling expletives, cursing himself and the old bitch standing before him. Argent's words and the annoying feeling that she'd somehow known about the strange draw Eden created for him infuriated Mello to an alarming extent.

_The bitch knew! _Mello's dark thoughts growled, _Argent knew how Eden fucking maddeningly consumes my every fucking thought since I meet her. Somehow Argent found out-watched us? Somehow she'd seen it, somehow she knows how we keep inevitably coming back to each other over and over again…_ Yes, Mrs. Argent had figured him out before even Mello had himself, and that was the straw that broke his back. That, made him downright rabid with fury.

"Fuck you, you fucking bitch!" Mello said, this time louder and full-fleshed with his rage. He advanced on her faster than Argent could react, forcing her against a metal store aisle before she could think enough to counter his actions. "You keep your fucking fingers off of what's mine or I'll put you in fucking pieces!" he yelled, shoving her against the shelf painfully with his hands at her throat. Argent had lost her manipulative expression, her eyes now wide and fearfully darting around in panic. "Do you fucking hear me? Don't you ever fucking touch her again! Don't you even fucking look at her!" Mello roared, Argent now clawing at his hands rapidly cutting off her air.

Matt was nearly elbowed in the face as he tried to pull Mello away from the woman, "Mell! Fucking christ! He's calling the cops! The cashier's calling the fucking cops! We've gotta go!" Matt yelled, his words the only thing that brought the raging blond back down to earth.

Mello turned to face Matt in a daze, stopping cold when he spotted Eden standing frozen with her mouth agape in shock. "What the fuck are you fucking looking at? Shut your damn mouth" Mello growled, immediately stopping Eden's gaping with an audible click of her mouth snapping shut. The blonde didn't hesitate for a second before reaching out, grabbing Eden by the arm and Matt by the collar, and hauling the both of them out into the rainy LA afternoon.

As Matt started the mustang, checking behind himself before rapidly pulling out into the traffic, a strange sort of nostalgia swept over him. For some reason, he was reminded of Mello's tantrums at Whammy's. Even as a budding genius child, the blonde never did like anyone touching his things.

**…**

With provocation from the air conditioning of the dimly-lit and poorly-cleaned living room, Eden was sitting and shivering after being drenched from the downpour they had walked out in. Mello's verbal attack had startled her down to the bone, not that she'd previously viewed him incapable of such outrage, but the way he'd gotten so upset-over her. It was shocking, to say the least, and gave her a strange fuzzy warmth that settled in the pit of her stomach. Even when she did as little as glance at the man, nervous shocks rushed through her body and ultimately rendered her speechless. Consequently, the ride home in the ginger's mustang had been as silent as a wake, and just as uncomfortable.

Mello hadn't laid an eye on her since he'd shoved her onto the ratty couch, and it was beginning to make her worried. Where was she supposed to go now? She still owed Mrs. Argent, and a substantial debt at that, so the woman would undoubtedly seek out her due pay. Mrs. Argent had connections, powerful, dangerous connections that could bring a lot of trouble. A lot of things that Eden knew she wouldn't be able to handle. But, even living in the streets was more appealing than the things Mrs. Argent would do if Eden came groveling back after that fiasco. The only question that Eden fell short of reasoning out a clear answer for was this; what would Mello's next move be?

In the adjacent bedroom of the shitty apartment, with his best friend for company, the blonde contemplated the same thing.

After a moment of letting Mello stew in his thoughts, Matt spoke up, "So, are you going to at least try to explain to me what that just was? Because I don't recall you ever mentioning having a hooker girlfriend" he said with his usual comedic overtone, leaning against the wall lighting a cigarette.

"She's not a damn hooker, watch your fucking mouth" Mello said, sending him a dark glare and swiftly severing the redhead's attempt at lightening the tension.

"Whoa, sorry, sorry. I wasn't serious" Matt said, once again raising his brows in surprise; having not expected such a genuinely terse reaction.

Mello ignored the redhead and allowed himself to sink down the wall until he was sitting, leaning against it with his head in his hands. _Why? It was immediate, my reaction. There wasn't any thought behind it at all, but I fucking fought for her like some sort of spineless dog. Why? How the hell does she have me wrapped around her finger? How the hell has a man like me become her slave, leaping at her beck-and-call? It's her. It's fucking her, doing something to me. That bitch! _Mello thought, his rage welling up again with ease. However, unlike with Argent, it was frustration that made him spill over the edge. _Why? _His thoughts raged, _Why am I so fucking preoccupied by her? Why can't I stop? What the hell has she done to me?_

Somehow, Eden seemed the most likely source to sedate the questions buzzing around his brain, and Mello suddenly leapt up before barging through the door. Matt, hesitantly hovering behind him, cautiously followed Mello as he walked from the short hall into the living room. Eden, beginning what might have been a greeting, allowed her mouth to stay parted in half-verbage as Mello began.

"What's your fucking aim?" he asked straight-off, glaring at her. "What could possibly be your motive for making me fucking follow you around like this? And why me? You could have found an easier ticket out of that whorehouse. I'm not the only client you have"

Ignoring Matt's resulting eyebrow raise, Eden blinked in shock a few times before answering. "Excuse me?" she stated, "since when have you followed me around in any sort of way? You show up, we fuck, and you leave as soon as you're satisfied. Besides, you're the one that stole me from Mrs. Argent" she pointed out, thankful that her words came out strong and without the strained shamed exhaustion that was plaguing her.

"Stole? I stole you? Fuck, is that really all you think of yourself as? Some cunt that she owns?" Mello asked, suddenly shouting at her.

"Isn't that what you think of me?" Eden retorted in a shout of her own, her voice finally breaking on the last word and granting her a reddened face that she could feel the disgraced burn of.

Her words sent a flood of shame through his chest that ached like a sucker punch, his body instantly converting the sensation into aggravation. "Fuck!" Mello exclaimed, his fist sailing clear through the nearby drywall-the aftermath of his outburst possessing the room with silence. "You have no fucking right" Mello said, his voice strained as he abruptly turned and retreated into the bedroom.

With the stress from their argument clouding her features, Eden sighed heavily before putting her head in her hands. _I just don't understand him. Doesn't he know how much trouble he's going to be putting himself through over me? If he wants a girl to fuck, he could find one with significantly less hassle. He freaks, brutalizes Mrs. Argent, and then comes in here like I made him do it. Fucking moron. Making me think that he fucking cares. Fucking stupid. _She thought, her eyes tearing up out of pure vexation of the situation.

An awkward cough made her lift her head, and Eden colored slightly in embarrassment as she remembered the ginger's presence in the room-and during the argument. "I was honestly starting to question Mell's sexuality, but I suppose this's cleared all that up…" the redhead trailed off.

Unable to help herself, Eden let out a short snicker at his words. "I'm sorry about all of that. I'm Eden" she finished, averting her eyes from the strange man.

"I'm Matt, Mell's best friend who has surprisingly heard nothing about you" Matt stated, ashing his cigarette on the laminate counter of the small kitchenette in the living room.

Eden snorted. "I'm not surprised. Most men like to keep me a secret" she said, shifting uncomfortably as she did so. _It feels wrong to lump him in with the other customers_, "As if Mello's anything like other men" She stated with a huff, before returning her head to her hands. _Oh Jesus, why the fuck did I say that out loud?_

Matt shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Yeah, so, are you hungry? Or maybe you want some dry clothes?" he asked, rubbing his neck.

Once again, she avoided eye contact with Matt, the feeling that she was imposing and the embarrassment of having him witness the yelling match sunk uneasily into her skin. "If it's not too much trouble, something dry would be really great. Thanks" Eden said awkwardly.

Matt nodded in acknowledgement before disappearing into the hall. In his absence, Eden felt free to examine the state of the lackluster apartment; and to sum it up, it was certainly obvious that two bachelors habituated it. With a frown, she got up from the couch (now damp due to her drenched state) and began to gather various dirty dishes, clutter, and trash from around the room.

**…**

"Sorry it took me so long, but I just got rid of a lot of junk that didn't fit me, so…" Matt stopped, looking around the room before letting out a low whistle. "I didn't know that coffee table was white" he commented before turning to Eden with a grin. "You seriously don't have to do that"

Eden smiled in return at him before shrugging, elbow-deep in soapy dishwater, "I always do chores at the house, so it's not a big deal. I felt odd just sitting there doing nothing, anyway" she said.

"Well either way, thanks. We don't clean much, and once the dishwasher broke it all just went to hell" he commented before brandishing a small pile of clothes. "These are the smallest things I have, they might fit you, but they're pretty old"

"Thanks" she said, drying her hands with a paper towel before picking up the items. "Is there somewhere I can change?"

"Bathroom, second door on the left" Matt answered, starting up the television and a game console as he spoke.

The clothes Matt had given her were woefully short of her expectations. Not only did the tank top nearly drown her, it was white and sheer enough to clearly show her black bra; however, the old red gym shorts were comfortably form fitting even though they admittedly showed off a bit too much leg. Eden hung her wet clothes to dry over the shower curtain rod and focused on wringing the wet out of her hair over the sink; and that was when Mello slammed open the door without so much as a knock.

"Get out-" Mello stopped, his eyes narrowing as if trying to solve a puzzle as he stared at her back. "What the hell is that?" the leftover anger in his voice from the fight was now gone, instead replaced with an unsettling cold tone. "Answer me" Mello demanded as she stood like a deer in headlights.

The sheerness of the tank top not only displayed her bra, but apparently gave a good view of the scars on her back as well. They were long freshly made scars, irritated a bright red, and marred the length of her back from her shoulder blades to just above her lower back.

As she continued to flounder in silence, Mello stepped further into the bathroom and let the door carelessly shut behind himself. "Did she do this to you?" he asked stoically, lifting the shirt up over her head.

Eden was tired, exhausted from the routine Argent had forced her into as well as the commotion of the fighting, and perhaps that's why she started crying. After all the instances over the thirteen days she'd been in Argent's torture, after every time she'd felt herself getting weak; Eden had been so tempted to cry then, to let herself feel the sheer despair of it, but she hadn't been able to. It was almost funny, considering that crying was the last thing she ever anted to do in front of Mello, that her body picked this moment to break.

She sunk to the floor, sobbing almost silently while instinctually drawing her hands up to her face to hide her discomposure. "She took me to the black room," Eden finally said, her tears dwindling to a manageable amount although it did nothing to stop the watery pain of her voice. "The morning after you took Donovan. She took me to the black room, where we take care of S&M clients. S-She… There was a whip…"

Mello couldn't do anything but stare, the minute Eden had started crying, he'd been frozen. So many things hit him at once; the overwhelming desire to find and beat the life out of Argent, blind anger at anyone who hadn't stopped the abuse, frustration that he could have done something himself if he'd simply seen Eden again instead of vowing to himself that he would stay away from her… But there was something else, a feeling that overpowered everything. He never wanted to see her cry again, he never wanted to hear her voice sound so broken, he never wanted her to hurt like that ever again. Mello wanted it with such ferocity, he could feel it in the very fiber of his being.

He wanted Eden to be happy, and he'd protect her from anyone who would threaten that.

**...**

_Please yourself, so you don't have to be afraid,_

_Coals are hot to walk across without your shoes _

_But in the end, know that you got nothin' to lose,_

_Nothing to lose._


	6. The Devil's Right Hand: Johnny Cash

_My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt_

_Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow_

_Loads a mite slow and I soon found out_

_It can get you into trouble but it can't get you out_

**…**

The weight of the weapon felt unnatural in her small hands, and Eden shivered in spite of the warm temperature of the living room. "It's not like it's going to bite you or anything" Matt said, his usual teasing smile on his face.

Eden gulped and gave him a halfhearted smile of her own. "I just… Don't like guns" she stated, feeling even weaker with the intimidating metal resting in her palms.

"Don't be so childish," Mello countered gruffly. "You have to keep yourself from getting shot somehow, and the best way to do it is to carry your own ace up your sleeve"

Hesitantly, she shifted the gun in her hands, her skin feeling clammy and jittery wherever the weapon met it. "Maybe Mrs. Argent's decided to let me go by now. I don't think I'll really need-"

Mello cut her off with an annoyed sigh. "I'm going to teach you how to use it. Why else would I give you one?" he muttered.

"It's not about that-" Eden cut off her own words as Mello snatched the weapon from her and fired two shots into the wall in front of them. The gunshots, as if wired directly to her brain, immediately sent Eden flat to the floor.

There was a long silence before Mello prodded the whimpering woman with his boot. "It's not that loud, take this seriously" he stated.

"I-It's not that," Eden said, her voice shaking slightly from the aftermath of the action and muffled by her position on the floor. "I just… I can't"

"Mello," Matt said almost gently, "what are you pushing it for, she obviously doesn't want too. Besides, where will she be that you won't be able to keep watch on her?"

The blonde turned on his friend with a vicious glare, "I didn't know I took orders from you" Mello stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm and his face automatically hardening in anticipation of an argument.

"The devil's right hand" Eden said, her voice so small and strange that Mello had to turn and look at her in order to make sure that she'd really spoken.

"What?" He asked more gruffly than intended, due to his annoyance at Matt still lingering in his voice.

She was still pressing herself into the carpet, her hands tangled in her long black hair and fingers half-covering her ears. "That's what my mom always said about guns" An eerie silence suspended the room before she added, "That's why I can't"

Matt's eyebrows were raised with curiosity, "Look, if it's about God or whatever-"

"I'm not discussing it anymore" Eden said hollowly, still speaking into the floor. "I'm not touching that thing again, and that's final" she finished.

"Do you want to die?" Mello asked angrily. "Because if you don't have protection with you, Argent's going to fucking murder you. Or do worse, and take you back to that whorehouse"

Eden sat up slowly, looking up at him as she sat on her knees, "So toss me then, if I'm so much trouble" she said.

"God dammit, that's not what I-" The blonde growled and agitatedly ran a hand through his hair. "Fucking hell, fine! But you don't go anywhere out of my sight or I'll shoot you myself, do you hear me?"

A smug, catlike grin overtook her face against her will. "What if their's a sudden blackout and none of us can see? Seems like a waste of a bullet, although I doubt you could really hit me in the dark…"

Matt snickered, immediately silenced by a glare from Mello. "Don't get fucking cocky" the blonde said with a scowl, "I have work to do, and so do you. Make a list for Matt so he can get whatever the fuck you need-but you stay here, only he goes out"

"What do you mean, whatever I need?" Eden asked in surprise.

"He means that we'll be keeping you for a long while, D" Matt said before turning to Mello with a wide grin, "Although I don't see why I couldn't keep that cat I found and you get to keep your kitten"

Mello sent a ferocious glare the ginger's way, but it didn't seem to effect him in the slightest. "You think you're much more funny than you actually are" Mello said dryly.

"Damn, you're right, I could have gone with 'sex kitten'" Matt said, giggling at Mello's resulting expression of annoyance.

The blonde turned sharply on his heel, "You're walking to the fucking store" Mello growled before scooping up the mustang keys from the counter, entering his room, and slamming the door loudly behind himself.

The ensuing silence between the two lasted for a few solid minutes before Eden spoke up, "Oh, I think you've made Mr. Leather very angry"

They giggled quietly, as to not attract the attention of the hothead sulking in his room.

**…**

Mello entered the living room like a whirlwind, "Is Matt back yet?" he asked, in the process of slipping on his jacket as he spoke.

"…No, not yet. Why?" Eden asked, taking her attention away from the TV in order to study the blonde. He'd been holed up in his room for hours, something important must've been underway to drag him out now.

"Ugh," Mello sighed, running a hand through his hair as if already regretting what he was about to say. "You're coming with me then" he took a second glance at her before sliding off his leather jacket and tossing it at her.

"I'm not a coat rack" Eden said sourly. "Where are we off to?"

Mello nudged the black wedge sandals she'd been wearing at her with his foot. "Put on the damn jacket, the boys will go crazy if you show up wearing a shirt that revealing and I don't want to deal with that bullshit. Come on, let's go already" he said impatiently, fishing around in the coat closet by the door.

She slipped on the jacket quickly and hopped towards the door as she pulled on her shoes. "'The boys'? You mean your gang?" Eden asked curiously, nervousness as well as a strange urge of curiosity bubbling up inside her.

He paused briefly, emerging from the closet with a wide smirk on his face. "A gang? You really think I'm as small time as that?" he asked amusedly before shoving a battered red motorcycle helmet at her.

Her second encounter with Mello's motorcycle proved just as terrifying as the first, and with a rush of wind accompanied by her desperate clinging to the blonde, they soon arrived outside of a ramshackle concrete building that looked to be some type of abandoned factory. They parked out back of the structure, near a loading dock that hadn't been used in years, and made their way towards the back door.

"Don't cause me trouble; stay close, don't respond to catcalls, and follow my orders. They don't like outsiders, and if you seem like a threat you can get the both of us into trouble. Got it?" Mello asked, his hand pausing on the door handle.

Eden nodded in agreement, her eyes wide. _This feels like some sort of movie, is he really involved with guys that bad? Well, not that it would be a surprise… But, I thought he was the Boss? How could he get into trouble?_ She thought, following the man in question through the door and down the proverbial rabbit hole.

If she had expected anything, the innards of the building was not it. Life, contrary to it's stoic exterior, infested the halls; everywhere there were people moving, bursting with orders, and the wallpaper itself seemed to take on a pulse of activity. Eden could feel eyes following her, although she didn't turn to look at them to be sure, but it was enough that she could sense the emotions swarming her presence as 'the outsider'. Lust was thick around many of the men they passed, but there was also disapproval and curiosity that lingered as well. Still, no one bothered to stop them until a strong, large man stopped leaning against a wall and stepped into their path.

"Edie, what're you doin' here? Long way from your home, girl" The man spoke, his voice causing her blood to run cold.

Against her better judgment, Eden lifted her head to face the man and gulped. It was none other than Mr. James, a regular client of hers that had become even more prevalent when Mrs. Argent punished her with visits from men at all times of the day and night. _Doesn't he… He has ties to Argent, does he know what happened? _She thought in a panic, her eyes already wide with fear.

Mello's arm was suddenly securely around her waist, his presence easing the nervous turning of her stomach. "James, if you know what's good for you, you'll get the fuck out of my way" he stated, a deathly seriousness to his tone.

James's eyes slid over to the blonde lazily as he grinned, evidence enough of his drunken state as much as the beer on his breath. "Says the boy I could break like a twig. Ross's been looking for you, something about that man in the cellar" he said casually.

"That's why I'm here, don't make me late" Mello stated in a warning tone, glaring bullets at the man.

James laughed, his gaze returning to Eden as he shamelessly looked her up and down; his eyes like greedy hands on her skin. "You just leave the bitch with me and I'll take care of her while you're talking business with Ross" he said, licking his lips. "We're family, we share. Besides, I know how much she wants cock, look at those eyes, she's lookin' for it all the time" he finished with another laugh.

Mello's grip tightened on her as Eden fought against the fear rapidly rising inside of her. The nervous glance aimed Mello's way only said one thing; _Please, don't leave me._

"You don't get to touch _my_ things" Mello declared vehemently, advancing on the mobster. "And if I see you doing so much as looking, I'll cut out your eyes myself" he said.

Another deep, booming laugh sounded from the man as he faced Mello. "There will be a day when you won't be around, princess, and I'll fuck her just like I used too. You may have managed to steal from Argent, but damned if she doesn't have friends that know how to teach thieves a lesson" James said before roughly elbowing past the two and shambling down the hall.

Eden was shaking, pure fear and adrenaline coursing through her veins. "Take some breaths, he won't lay a finger on you" Mello whispered in her ear, his eyes glaring at the rest of the mobsters crowding the halls that had stopped their business to stare.

"He knows Mrs. Argent," Eden said, her voice a strained whisper as she tried to lessen the pounding of her heart. "He's going to tell. He's going to get the both of us-"

Mello squeezed her hip lightly, comfortingly, "Shh, You're with me" he whispered into her hair, "You're fine"

It wasn't until they reached the door to the basement that Eden's knees stopped shaking and she was able to regain her composure, but the scene that greeted them when one of the goons ushered them into a room was nearly enough for her to loose it again.

Chief Donovan, or a barraged bleeding slump of his former self, was chained to a metal chair next to the stairs; directly facing the other captive of the room who was similarly chained. The only difference between the two was that Donovan was no longer breathing, even in sporadic panicked breaths like the unfamiliar captive. But, that wasn't the first thing that hit her, the first thing was the smell. The horrible, thick, stench of decay that seemed to clog her very lungs and made her want to choke. It was the type of smell that fit in with the blood-stained, sickly green tile that coated the room.

It was hell.

"What have you gotten out of him?" Mello asked upon entering, leaving Eden frozen on the stair landing as he walked casually to the live man chained to the chair.

One of the goons occupying the room spoke up, "He says the only Japs that are working on the case are a Soichiro, Mogi, and Matsuda. There was another member, Ukita, but he died during the case" he said.

Mello glanced at the chained man for the first time. "What about the Death Notes?" he asked the man directly.

A violent reaction took place at the words, the man immediately thrashing in his binds and squeezing his eyes shut. "I know nothing about that! Please! Don't hurt me anymore!" he insisted, an Asian accent slashing his words. "Please! Let me go! I have a family!"

If anything, this only seemed to annoy the blonde. "Shut up!" he barked, the captive man immediately complying with a sob. "What do you know about a Yagami?" he asked, nearly breathing in the man's face.

"Yes, yes, yes" the man said hurriedly, "He works on the case! He has the most power! That's all I know!" Mello retreated from the man, giving a silent nod of approval to his own thoughts.

The door behind her creaked open so suddenly that Eden visibly jumped before scuttling out of the way, pressing her back against the handrail as a tall, intimidating man entered the room. The man gave Eden a once over, but said nothing before he continued his descent into the room.

"Ross!" one of the goons exclaimed, prompting Mello to turn and look at the arrival.

"Hey kid, what's the news?" Ross asked, already smirking at the blonde.

He seemed to take on a smirk of his own as he spoke, "All of this has only solidified my earlier theory, that there are two Death Notes in existence" Mello said. "One, belongs to Kira and the other, to the police. I'm sure of it. We can continue with phase two of the plan"

Ross broke out in a grin, slapping the younger man's back wholeheartedly. "Right on schedule, as always!" he said with a chuckle. "You know, at first I was cautious about you-but in the two years you've been with us, you've steered us right. If this goes through, Mello, you're going to be doing great things"

Eden almost couldn't believe her eyes as she shuddered at the scene before her. _They're laughing and congratulating each other so flippantly right next to a dead fucking body! _Eden thought in horror, _Is Mello… really this cold? If I tried to leave now, what would he do? I can't stay… Not with a lunatic like this. What if he tries to shoot me? I've got to-Wait, where could I go? I… Don't have another choice…_

"Eden!" The shout broke her thoughts, and Eden turned her attention to Mello at his call. "Come down here, Ross wants to meet you" he ordered.

She closed her eyes for a second, focusing as she took a breath. _It's just like work, don't let your disgust show. Please the customer,_ She thought. When she opened her eyes, there was a smile painted on her face along with bright enticing eyes. Eden gracefully glided down the stairs, sauntering to the men with ease.

Mello smirked at her, letting his eyes roam her with a proud little burst blooming in his chest-interrupted only by Ross's low whistle. "Mmm, you got yourself a good one here now that I see her in the light. Thought she was a flincher, too, but you aren't bothered at all, huh honey?" he said, leaning back to take her in.

"Not me" Eden replied tightly, ignoring the way Mello's face contorted slightly at her tone; he could tell she was putting on an act. Eden took the opportunity to drape herself around him.

"You look familiar" one of the goons spoke up, Eden pressing closer to Mello as the goon squinted at her. "You in movies? I think I saw you in a porno once"

Ross shoved the man harshly in the upper arm, sending him stumbling. "Dammit, Clem, that's no way to talk to a lady. Especially the kid's lady at that" he stated gruffly. "He needs to understand that if he wants to bring his lady friend around here, we're not gunna disturb him any. Right, men?"

The goons nodded in agreement, and Mello smirked. "I appreciate the courtesy, Ross" he said. "Now, don't we need to hash out the details of our next move? My guy already complied the rest of the information, and if all goes well he'll leave next week"

Ross nodded, already walking up the stairs with Mello and Eden trailing behind him. "And you're sure that you can trust this guy? I didn't think you had any guys" Ross stated, becoming level with Mello and leaving Eden alone on the stairs above the goons.

"He only just came to town, but I've known him since we were kids, I can trust him" Mello assured before turning sharply at the yelp that came from Eden.

She had felt it, their eyes on her, and when one of them reached out a greasy hand to lift her jacket and view more of her ass; she'd turned and slapped him with a yelp. By the time Mello and Ross had turned, they were met with a reddened Eden and two shameful goons.

"Boys, clean up this mess and leave her alone" Ross exclaimed, annoyed.

The three of them continued on until they reached a lounge room, where Ross walked through another doorway into his office and Mello sat Eden down on a large couch. "Don't you move, okay?" He demanded, holding her shoulders possessively as he stared her down.

"You're really going to just leave me out here?" Eden asked, even her voice was weak. _Jesus, I know he's a mob boss, but he hasn't tried to shoot me yet-and these other guys… At least Mello could protect me._ Her thoughts made her swim with unease.

Mello frowned at her with a short frustrated growl, "Look, I know you don't like it, but take it. Anyone comes at you, you just point. You don't even have to shoot, they'll back off, okay?" he said, pressing a gun into her already sweaty palms. "Now, don't move, got it?" he asked again, this time receiving a slow nod in return.

Looking at the metal made her sick, so Eden deposited the weapon safely inside Mello's coat pocket instead. She kept her hands in her pockets just for the powerful sense of comfort the cold object gifted her whenever her fingers drifted over it. Once again, she closed her eyes; _It's almost over. This entire trip to this underworld, and then I'll ask Mello never to come back. To think that this Mello is the same one that touched me… It's the same cold person, but it's different when he acts like that around death. Did he… Did he kill Donovan? Or did he order a goon to do it? Would that make it any better?_

She was startled from her reverie by a hand assaulting her thigh, "What the-?" Eden was immediately cut off by a hand around her mouth, and her terrified gaze turned to her oppressor.

James was grinning, even more drunk than he was before, and sloppily so. "Shh, little Edie, I know you're scared without Cinderella here to hold you" he laughed, the sick sound soaking into her skin. "I told him I'd get my hands on you again, and then here you are in the lounge in full view of that door. Mmm, you should've just tied a bow around yourself for me. I know you want to be my present"

Eden screamed under his hand, struggling futilely; as her small body was easily held down by the large man. "Aw, don't play games. We both know how much of a cock-craving slut you are" he said, laughing again as his hand resumed caressing her thigh. "How do you want it, huh bitch?" James asked, licking his lips again.

She squeezed her eyes shut so tightly that painful colors fired inside of her eyelids. _Mello, where the fuck are you? Why did you have to fucking leave me? He's going to- _Her own thoughts became a train crash as Eden's hand came in contact with the metal of the gun once again. She didn't think, she just reacted.

"Jesus fuck!" James wailed as she bit down on his hand, causing him to jump back from her before angrily grabbing a fistful of Mello's coat. "You fucking bitch! What the fuck-" he stopped after he managed to rip the leather jacket from her as she struggled out of it. Eden stood halfway across the room, menacingly aiming the gun right between James's eyes.

That was the only time Eden stopped and thought. She hesitated only breifly, and then she pulled the trigger.

The shot sent everyone running, but Mello and Ross arrived first since they'd already heard James's shout of pain. Thick, dripping blood and brain matter was splattered against the wall and a large portion of the couch; Mello's jacket hanging limply in the hands of a dead man.

The blonde automatically went into a panic, and even when he spotted Eden; staring and pressed against the furthest wall, his rapid heartbeat didn't slow in the slightest. He was over to her in a flash, arms pulling her into him as he took the gun from her clumsy hands. She was hiding her face, and when Mello gently lifted it to his, it was evident that not a sob had escaped her as he had thought. Eden, while admittedly shaken, was staring back at him with dry eyes and Mello shockingly let his hands drop from her.

"You really are tougher than I thought" Ross said, this tone almost dumbfounded before he cleared his throat. "Not a flincher at all, huh?" he said with almost a chuckle, staring at the two.

Mello, still not having recovered from the shock of Eden's unremorseful face, stared back at Ross bleakly but without losing the strength his stance seemed to naturally exert. "I'll get Jim to clean this up, you can take a new sofa out of my pay" he stated.

Ross glanced from the body to Mello, and finally to the stoic face of Eden; who's eyes seemed to be locked on James. "Sure thing, kid" Ross said, crossing the room before patting Mello on the arm. "And I don't think you have to worry too much about your lady around here" he added before disappearing through the door.

As Ross shut the door behind himself, dealing with the crowd of mobsters outside of it, Mello turned to Eden. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He asked, staring at her blank face. "I told you not to shoot anyone! Just point it! Why the hell did you…" Mello trailed off and followed her gaze to James for a moment. "Answer me!" he said in an outburst, shaking her shoulders.

Eden slapped his hands off her lightly, barely touching him, before she slunk down the wall. "Oh god" she said, her voice shaking and cracking from her dry gaping mouth. "I-I shot him. I-I fucking murdered someone" she said, her hand cupping her mouth in horror.

Mello crouched beside her, "It's my fault, I know what men here are like, I shouldn't have-" he started angrily, interrupted by Eden.

"No," she said, staring at him with wide eyes, "You don't understand. I mean, he was holding me down and he had his hands all over me-But I… rationalized it. I could have escaped him without hurting him, but he was already such a big threat. Once he sobered up in the morning, he was going to tell Argent. Then she'd know how to find me. She'd kill you. And me. She would have killed us, Mello" Eden finished, staring at him almost pleadingly.

He watched her for a few long seconds before gathering her up in his arms. Placing her back on her feet as they both stood, he whispered in her ear. "I know" he said gently.

"My father" she said, in a haunting voice that made him shiver.

The abrupt words caused him pause, "What about him?" Mello asked slowly.

"He was a preacher" Eden said, and suddenly the words were spilling out of her, "He was good at his job, but he was a bad man. He was the sponsor of the church hymn boys. They practiced all the time, sometimes he would even have them over. He took them to the basement. I could… I could hear them, they screamed, the vent went right up into my room and I could… My mother went on like there was nothing, so I had to" Eden said, her eyes on the carpet but her gaze far away. "I shot him" she finished.

A silence passed between them until Eden seemed to come out of the trance of her own ghost story and fixed Mello with her wide, frightened, mossy-green eyes. "Did I do the right thing?" she asked quietly.

He had no answer for her.

**…**

_Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man_

_Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand_

_The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand,_

_Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand._

**A/N: I just wanted to say how much I honestly appreciate the reviews on this story. I don't often reply to reviews, but I do read them, and they always encourage me to write-so please don't hesitate to send them. I hope you all continue to enjoy this story as well. -Luv, Cart**


	7. Islands: The Xx

_Where would I be_

_If this were to go under?_

_It's a risk I'd take_

_So now I'm froze by desire_

_As if it's a choice I'd make_

**…**

"So, what's really wrong with Eden?" Matt asked, for what felt like the millionth time, staring at the TV screen as his fingers flew about the game controller.

Eden spent a lot of time holed up in Mello's room since the shooting at headquarters, praying mostly, but sometimes staring out the window. She cooked for the three of them, but never ate much, and had taken to being silent during conversations unless she was addressed personally. Her showers were long, as she often got lost in her thoughts, and she put no effort into her appearance other than wearing some combination of clean clothes. It had been going on like this for a week since the shooting.

Mello sighed, "It's natural" he stated in response to Matt.

Matt glanced at him momentarily, his face filled with confusion. "What? She's on her period?" the redhead asked.

"No, you moron" Mello said with an eye roll. "She's going through the same thing I did"

"So, your both on your periods?" Matt asked, grinning as Mello gave him a sharp glare.

Mello propped his long legs up on the coffee table before unwrapping his chocolate bar. "She's contemplating her soul. I know you don't care much about religion, but that's an important thing to most of us"

Matt was silent for a few seconds as his brain thrummed. "Wait, so, she can have sex for money just fine but she can't shoot a dude without going to hell?" he asked. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't adultery a sin?"

"I don't know how she works it out. As far as I'm concerned, that shit's between her and god. Just like my soul's between me and god" Mello stated.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, "Do you mean literally, or figuratively?" he questioned.

Mello let out another exasperated sigh. "Look, just don't think too hard about it. I don't want to clean it up when your head explodes" he said sarcastically.

"Oh man!" Matt said with a grin, "Listen to you! You've got jokes! Damn, didn't know you had it in you with that stick jammed so far up your-"

"What are you playing?" Eden asked, making both of the men occupying the couch jump.

"Jesus!" Matt exclaimed, starting at her sudden appearance. "Don't sneak up like that"

Mello slid his boots off the table, striding over to the girl enveloped in his comforter. "Hungry?" he asked, beginning to unwrap her from the tangle of blankets.

Eden gave him a small smile, "Psychic, huh?" she asked rhetorically with a chuckle. "Lemme go shower and we'll eat"

"Hey I washed your new clothes, they're in the hall closet" Matt yelled towards the girl disappearing down the hall.

Eden emerged only a short while later in a simple ensemble of a dark green v-neck and fitted navy-blue jeans. A small smile was etched on her face, which made both of the men raise their collective eyebrows. "Matt, Thank you so much for the clothes, I can't say how much…" she trailed off, her voice watery as she hastily held a hand to her mouth before clearing her throat. "I really appreciate it" she finished, the hints of her earlier emotion now gone.

Matt was blushing, his eyes determinedly glued to the TV screen in front of him. "I'm glad you like them. You were kinda vague on your list, so I was afraid what I got would be too plain" he said.

Ignoring Mello's emotionless stare directed to her, Eden crossed the room and sat between the two men on the couch in order to give Matt a side-hug. "No, they're perfect. I haven't worn pants in years, you have no idea how fantastic this is" she said.

The redhead paid no to attention to her affection, his eyes remaining firmly planted on the violence occurring in the video game. "If you wanted pants, why didn't you just go buy some? Their aren't any laws on that, you know" he said teasingly.

Eden's body seemed to tense for a moment, and she released Matt in order to sit back properly on the couch. "Argent has a dress code. Besides, she took all of my wages, if I wanted something like that I had to ask a client. And the last thing they wanted to see me in was pants" she said airily, as if trying to detach herself from the memory.

"What a fantastic story," Mello stated dryly. "But someone has a flight in two hours and has yet to pack his shit" The sour statement was obviously for the redhead.

Matt rolled his eyes at the TV screen before pausing his game and standing up, "Jesus, Mello, by all means don't get all teddy bear on us" he muttered before leaving the room, the blonde sending a glare after him.

They sat in silence on the couch, Eden unsure of what to say since he was obviously in one of his moods for some unknown reason. "Um, so" she began, clearing her throat. "Now that we're alone, I have something I've been wanting to ask you…"

Mello said nothing, only giving her an unreadable stare that she took as a sign to continue.

"Right" Eden said awkwardly, her hands clammy from nervousness. "It might not be my place to ask, but I think I have some right to know. Did… Did you kill Donovan?"

He let out a snort somewhere between general amusement at her naivety and downright condescending annoyance. "You're not that dim. I figured you concluded the truth" Mello stated. "You knew I was never full of kittens and rainbows. Your boyfriend got what was coming to him"

The hot rush of anger and embarrassment was instant, as well as the underlying shame that painted her cheeks a bright red. "_Boyfriend_? Really, Mello? Is that what you think? God dammit, why do you always have to be so…" she trailed off, her mind too clouded with anger to think of a proper insult.

"So what?" Mello asked, his own annoyance quickly morphing into anger. "Fucking honest? For fuck's sake, you act like you aren't a tramp"

"You always have to be such a fucking prick! One minute you're yelling at me, and the next you make me feel like…" Eden trailed off, her eyes watering. Her teary state immediately embarrassed her, and she stood up from the couch and turned her back on him hurriedly. "You know what sucks, though?" she asked evenly, haven given herself enough time to calm down slightly. "You're still the nicest guy I've ever met" she said with a bitter laugh, despising how sad the words sounded out loud.

Something in him softened, all at once he wanted to hold her and yell at her at the same time. _This is unbearable, _he thought, _this constant jealously. I hate those men, every single fucking piece of shit that's ever touched her. I hate when people look at her. I hate when she's happy with anyone else. I hate that she talks about Argent's house. I hate what she's done. Who she's done. I fucking hate her for making me feel like this. _Mello thinks all these things, but at the same time he says nothing; staying firmly planted on the couch.

"Do you really think I wanted it? Sleeping with those men?" Eden asked quietly, collapsing in on herself. "Mrs. Argent found me when I was fifteen. I was homeless in a strange city, starving, and cowering from the police" She paused unnaturally long before turning to look at him; directly in the eye. "Do you know how scared I was? I didn't have a choice. I made the best of my situation, it wasn't a good life, but it was enough. Until you… You just waltzed into it and tore everything apart. And now you still have the nerve to treat me like a whore? Well fuck you, Mello"

He gritted his teeth, rage boiling behind his eyelids as he thought about the innocent young girl Eden once was. The girl he never knew. "Bullshit," he said, walking towards her in an angry huff. "Don't blame me because you're ashamed of the filth you've fucked"

Eden momentarily recoiled from his words, her mouth agape. "I survived! I made a living for myself! And I'll never be ashamed of escaping from my old life!" she shouted angrily, shoving him harshly as she did so. "The only filth I'm ashamed of is you!"

"Then why don't you just go find some other dick to give you shelter, huh?" He yelled back, trapping her forearms in an iron grip as she attempted to shove him yet again. "If you don't want to be here, then go! No one's stopping you! I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding another sap like Donovan you can give your cunt to!"

It was enough to send her into tears, horrible sobs that wracked her entire frame. "Y-you're right," she blubbered through tears, "I don't know what I'm even doing here anymore. M-maybe I'll find someone who'll actually want me" Eden was finally able to break away from Mello as his hands went slack at her words. She slammed her back against the wall behind her in her hurry to get away from him, but it was only moments until she was out the apartment door.

"Fuck!" Mello roared in the ensuing silence, punching the nearby wall hard enough that his knuckles welled up with blood. "Matt get the fuck out here, we have to go! NOW!"

**…**

The minute Eden stepped out onto the street (barefoot, no less), she regretted the argument. _He had no fucking right to speak to me that way, but everything happened so fast… _Eden thought, _He helped me, and I thought… Up until now, I thought he actually cared about me. I guess he just finally realized that I'm more trouble than I'm really worth._

She had no idea where to go, but Eden knew it would be best to get out of the street before one of Argent's contacts spotted her-she was likely still wanted, after all. The only problem being that, no matter what shop she ducked into, the employees evicted her on the grounds of 'no shirt, no shoes, no service'. It probably didn't help that she had tearstains down her cheeks.

It was on a sidewalk that she literally ran into the blonde, momentarily sending them both to the pavement when they collided. "Augh, god dammit" the platinum-blonde cursed, hissing from the pain of a re-opened wound. The groceries she had been carrying were piled around her, scattering across the pavement.

"Heaven" Eden said quietly, crouching on the sidewalk as she took in the state of her friend. Mrs. Argent never damaged the selling points of her merchandise, but it was well known that the older woman despised Heaven, and the heavy bruises on her face were clear truth of the fact. Heaven had a large swollen black eye, with cuts around her the socket as telltale marks from Mrs. Argent's rings. Her jaw and neck were also bruised, indicative of more abuse, although Eden couldn't see the rest of where Heaven was probably beaten since she wore large oversized clothes.

Heaven locked eyes with her in surprise, "Eden" she stated, her voice full of unexpected anger. "Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea what she's done to us because of you?"

Eden balked in shock, only capable of staring dumbfounded at her friend.

"She thought we planned it. She thinks we were trying to take her down somehow, get the house revealed to the cops. She's been beating us day and night in order to get us to talk" Heaven said, her eyes furious as her voice shook with pure hatred. "I thought we meant much more to you, but you left us behind without another thought, didn't you?"

"I thought about going to the cops, after what she's done to me," Eden said truthfully, remembering the scars on her back as well as her years enslaved in Argent's house. "And you have to believe me when I say that I wish more than anything that place is shut down, but the police-"

"When she had me raped, I thought it was the worst pain I've ever been through, but you've exceeded that" Heaven glared at her, tears welling up in her eyes. "I thought you were my friend, you selfish bitch"

"Heaven, I'm sorry-" Eden was almost immediately cut off.

"Shut up," the blonde said, a hand clamped around Eden's forearm as she dragged the other woman to her feet. "I don't care what you say, you're coming back with me"

"No! Wait!" Eden nearly screamed in sudden fear, attracting attention from many of the passerby on the sidewalk. "We can get away, you can run away with me. We'll be free together, Heaven, please!" she pleaded.

Heaven wheeled around violently to face her. "And go where? With what money?" she asked, "And, tell me, who will protect us, huh?"

The thought of Mello flashed through Eden's mind only briefly before she pushed away the image, "We can protect each other. Heaven, please, I'm so sorry that I left you; but you can't take me back there. She'll kill me"

"You know, Eden," Heaven said emotionlessly. "Maybe I would care if you didn't break my heart. I loved you. You were the only thing keeping me alive in that place, and you left me without so much as a blink"

"It wasn't my choice!" Eden exclaimed, beginning to panic at the thought of returning to Argent. "It happened so fast, and then-"

"And then there wasn't any more time for whores like me?" Heaven interrupted bitterly.

Eden shook her head sorrowfully, backing away from Heaven despite of her hold on Eden's wrist, "I can't go back" she repeated, turning to run into the busy LA traffic as she did so.

**…**

Matt missed his first flight, and then his second, by the time they finally found Eden. It was more of happenstance then it was actual results yielded by their search, as the two of them had encountered the last dregs of the traffic accident just as they were heading towards main street to continue looking for her. Matt had pulled the mustang past the officers slowly, and Mello had thought to ask what happened. Two young women broadsided by traffic; both rushed to the city hospital.

The only reason it clicked was the gold cross shimmering on the black pavement. Matt almost thought Mello was going to tear the car apart before they reached the ER wing; and It took all Mello's self control not to pull a gun on the desk clerk when she took an eternity to find 'Jane Doe's room, but when she did, the two ran up all three flights of stairs.

"Mello" Eden said, clearly shocked when she saw the two standing in the hallway, her words slightly muffled by her oxygen mask.

The doctor holding her chart immediately shook his head at the two, "I'm sorry, but unless you're family you can't be in here" he stated.

Matt, apparently being the only one with working brain function at the moment, spoke up. "We're her brothers" he supplied.

"Oh, well then perhaps you can assist me in filling in her personal information, she's refusing to tell us her name. We need to treat her, but-" the doctor was cut off.

"How badly is she hurt, treat her for what?" Mello asked rapidly, glaring threateningly at the man in order to assure the next words from his mouth would be the truth.

The doctor cleared his throat, "It's nothing major, just a small fracture in her arm, but we were holding off treatment until we could find out more about any possible allergies she has. Do either of you know any relevant medical history that we could use?" he asked.

"Matt, take care of it" Mello demanded, rather than asking his friend.

"Well, as long as Eden's alright I guess-"

"Good" Mello supplied, cutting off the redhead and nearly forcing the two other men out of the room with his resulting glare.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Eden spoke, "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you wanted me gone" she said.

"I never said I wanted you dead" he stated. "I can't believe you really ran into traffic, you fucking moron. Never-"

"Look, if you just came here to lecture me, I'll tell the doc who you really are and make you leave" Eden rebutted. "I get it. I haven't forgotten what you said, I won't bother you anymore as long as you stop coming around. I have more of my own problems to sort out if you're done here"

He approached her, "You didn't let me finish" Mello said, sitting on one side of her bed. "Never make me worry about you" he ordered and leaned over her, placing one hand on the wall in order to prevent himself from kissing her altogether.

Eden stared blankly at him for a few seconds before she spoke, her chest constricting and heartbeat throbbing in the aftermath of his words. "What the hell are you talking about?" she finally asked, her head dizzy with confusion and the premonition that something important was still to come.

Mello said nothing as he slipped off her oxygen mask, only leaned further over her in the bed; their lips inches from each other. He only briefly hesitated in his actions, staring into the eyes of the woman trapped under him. _If I continue with this, what would happen?_ _If I kiss her… If I touch her… I'll have to admit what I'm doing, _Mello thought, _I won't be paying for it anymore._ He removed one hand from the wall slowly, his eyes following his fingers as his hand came to rest on her hip. Shaking. His hands were shaking with the weighted air between him and Eden. He was somehow so suddenly nervous about touching her, his actions unsure of themselves. _Will she stop me? _Mello'd never considered her thoughts on the matter, _Why is she going along with this? _He thought in confusion, _Does she really want me? _Finally, he lifted his eyes to hers again, his hand still resting softly on her hip.

She could sense some confusion about him, the way Mello moved now was so different then he had in the past. For some reason, what they were doing felt new and raw-a change had fallen over the two of them, and they were acting like two blushing virgins. It was unexplainable in and of itself, but also strange in the way it seemed to bring about a different feeling winding through her. The butterflies that had lately began to appear in her stomach when she looked at Mello also made her throat dry and her breath hitch. Just from the way he looked at her, the way the air felt between them, the agonizing closeness of him… such simple things made her head swim. "Will you kiss me?" Eden asked quietly in an uneven whisper.

Something unfamiliar stirred in him, if only for a second; a quiver of his heartbeat outside of it's normal rhythm. It was mystifying to see Eden the way she was now, so small and delicate. It reminded him of her sobbing on the bathroom floor, significantly less heart-wrenching than now, but still so vulnerable. It scared him, another person exposing themselves to him so openly. _Who am I to deserve this? Why does she… Why does she want me? _Mello questioned himself with a furrowed brow, staring into the beautiful face below him.

Her heart was racing faster the longer time drew on without response from Mello. _He's having doubts, _Eden thought rapidly, _I'm being stupid to assume that he wants… It's idiotic to think that he wants me when I'm nothing but trouble for him. Am I really just some stupid slut for needing him like this? It's not like I'm begging him for sex, and it's not like I'm going after anyone else, it isn't about that… I just… I want to be closer… I want to feel something real for once. I want sex to mean something other than a wad of money. Does that make me stupid? _Eden closed her eyes to her painful thoughts, wincing at herself as she prepared to push away from Mello and save him the embarrassment of explaining that she held no appeal for him. Maybe, if she was lucky, he'd let her stay anyway; after all, he seemed to take a liking to the stray anyway.

He caught her unaware as her eyes closed, his lips sparking a rush of sensations through her body that immediately produced a soft "Mmm" from her in return to the surprise. Eden felt waves of emotions crash through her as Mello intensified the kiss, her reactions beginning with happiness and ending with need. Not lust, not want, _need_. She _needed _to have him against her, she _needed_ his hands coveting her body, she _needed_ his affections and attention. Eden needed _him._ She needed him more than anything she'd ever felt before.

Suddenly, their kiss stopped and one of Mello's hands gripped her chin during her resulting daze, directing her hazy eyes to his. It was a harsh gesture, but the way he preformed it was gentle if not erotically possessive. "You're mine now" Mello said, his voice sharp and demanding.

Numbed by the feelings coursing through her, Eden nodded slowly in confirmation as if in a trance.

"No," Mello stated. "I want to hear you say it"

Something about the words sent a shiver down her spine, and Eden unconsciously licked her lips in anticipation of the blonde's own against hers. "I…" She tailed off before hazily bringing her eyes up from his distracting mouth to his even more mesmerizing eyes. "I'm yours" Eden finished.

She barely had time to stumble over the words before Mello was yanking her into a fiery kiss, his hand on her cheek holding her in place against him somehow made her squirm with desire at the same time. His tongue was suddenly in her mouth, and his free hand at her hip pulling her on top of him.

Eden had ever felt so sure of any other choice she'd made in her life.

**…**

Outside of the hospital room, Matt and the doctor were standing by the nurse's station in uncomfortable silence. Well, not exactly, since the sounds coming from Eden's room were loud enough to capture the attention of any employees and patients within radius of the reverberating sex noises.

"Uh," Matt began awkwardly, "Well, you see, by saying; 'we're her brothers', I really meant that we're her… friends…"

An exceptionally loud moan echoed through the hall.

"Um, some of us very good friends" he added.

…

_I am yours now_

_So I don't ever have to leave _

_I've been found out_

_I am yours now_

_I am yours now_


	8. Loose Your Soul: Dead Man's Bones

_I get up in the morning_

_To the beat of the drum_

_I get up to this feeling,_

_Keeps me on the run._

**...**

Mello paused in zipping up his leather vest, delicately pulling the item from his breast pocket as he felt it; the glittering gold cross. "You know, when you get nice things you're supposed to treat them as such. And not leave them lying around on the pavement" he commented, Eden looking at him in confusion until he dropped the token into her hand.

It was only a momentary pause before the conclusion clicked in her brain, "It was you?" Eden asked quietly. "You left the cross in my room?"

His back was too her, about to disappear through the door. "It was my mother's" Mello stated, but before he could open the door Eden's doctor swung it open with Matt in tow.

"Miss, I have some bad news" the doctor began, shouldering past Mello to stand at her bedside. "Your friend is dead. Now, I know this is hard, but-"

Eden cut him off in her surprise. "Dead? Are you-You're sure? God... I led us into the traffic... I... I killed her..." she finished in shock.

"Actually," the doctor said. "That's entirely wrong, and also why I came here to speak with you. Your friend was suffering from severe internal injuries as well as physical, and judging from our investigative examination post-modem, she's been raped repeatedly. The police have been notified, and if you know anything about this it's in your best interest to-"

"The police?" Eden parroted, cutting off the doctor once again. "I have to go, since it's just my arm I can be released, right?" she asked, her panic rising as she spoke.

The doctor stared at her blankly a few moments before continuing. "Miss, you're the only lead that the police are going to have in this investigation. We can't just let you go"

Eden ran a worried hand through her hair. "No, you don't understand, she'll kill me if the police get anywhere close to the truth! God, why the hell did you have to call the police?" she lamented, swinging her legs out of bed.

"We can keep you safe, please, you can help stop whatever she's doing" the doctor said, almost pleadingly before Eden skittered past him towards the cupboard housing her clothes.

"No, you can't. She'll find me somehow," Eden stated, hurriedly dressing, "She'll kill me, and anyone else near the police with information that could damage her. You have no idea who you're dealing with," she said as she made her way towards the boys and the door.

"Wait!" the doctor nearly shouted, "don't you at least want to know what happened to the baby?"

All at once, the room went deathly still. "What?" Eden asked slowly.

"Your friend was 5 months along" the doctor said, pausing with pain in his eyes. "We were unable to save it"

Eden immediately went slack, bile growing in her throat as a sickness overwhelmed her. In addition to the beating and torture Argent had put Heaven through, in addition to the rape, Heaven was impregnated with some dirty scumbag's child. Something in Eden was cold, and she knew that she should be writhing in white-hot emotional pain at the loss of her friend, but all Eden felt was rage. This was too far, this depraved violation of human rights was too sick to ignore. Argent had to be stopped.

But, such a thing was impossible.

"We're leaving" came Mello's cold, business voice as he leveled his gun at the doctor. "You won't come after us, or try to stop us in any way-that includes sending any subordinates after us. As far as you and the police know, we just disappeared from your care"

The doctor nodded slowly, and Mello wrapped an arm around Eden's shoulders before the three of them quickly escaped the hospital.

**...**

Yet another night, Eden was lying awake on the dingy living room couch and staring at the revolving colors of the TV screen; oblivious to whichever program she was currently watching.

She hadn't been directly responsible for Heaven's death, but there was still guilt worming it's way through her and eating her up from the inside out.

And, along with that guilt, was fear. A familiar fear. Argent was cruel, but her paranoia was something Eden never knew of. Heaven had described the hell; day-and-night beatings in hopes of making the girls talk about some 'secret plan' they had developed with Eden to bring the house to it's knees. If Argent was that unstable, it was agonizingly unclear just what evil acts she could set into motion with her power and money. Eden's only choices were clear; confront Argent and end everything, or depend on Mello's power and money to hide. Leaving the rest of the girls to suffer.

_Should I be a coward? Or should I make this right, for Heaven?_ Eden thought, her mind swimming with many things. She thought of the days when she and Heaven met at the house as children, how they got through their pained existence together. She thought of the abuse Heaven endured, and the love that she'd spoken of that day on the sidewalk. But, most of all, she thought about Heaven's unborn child.

"Eden" Mello didn't so much as call her, as he did state her name as a simple command. As he strode into view from the apartment's front door, she stood to meet him.

"I haven't seen you in two days," Eden said.

Mello paused in taking off his jacket to coldly blink at her, his eyes rimmed with a tired purple. "I've been working. Planning" he said, his voice rattling inside his exhausted shell.

"You look dead," she said. "Have you slept at all?"

Falling onto the couch, he began unlacing his boots. "And when would I have time to sleep?" he questioned, "I'm just here to check on you"

"Ah," Eden said simply, occupying herself in the kitchenette. When she came back into Mello's view, it was with a chocolate bar that she tossed into his lap.

"Thanks" he said gruffly in return.

Sitting beside him on the couch, Eden slowly examined his smooth face. "So, how is the business going?" she asked.

Mello grunted. "It's going. At a frustrated rate, but at least things are moving. The boss is becoming more willing to take my advice, and his half-wit lackeys are getting the plan together at a snail's pace."

"What exactly are you doing, Mello?" Eden asked quietly.

Chewing chocolate, he raised an eyebrow at her before swallowing. "What kind of a question is that?"

Eden shook her head, "I don't know. I mean, how did you get where you are? And why? You talk about these plans, but... I have no idea what you mean. What are you doing, exactly?" she said.

Mello stared at her in silence before opening his mouth, "Don't worry about it," he stated. "It's... complicated to explain. Besides, you're not involved. It's not your concern"

"It's my concern whether or not you die. Do you know how it feels to be sitting here, alone in this place for days on end? What happens when you never come home, Mello? What happens to me?" Eden asked.

He paused, numbly focusing on the shifting colors on the TV screen. "You leave, that's what," he finally said.

Somehow, She'd expected that answer. Eden felt herself crumble, hurt and confusion splashing over her painfully like hot oil from a pan. "No" she said quietly, "I'd stay here. I'd wait. Until I saw your corpse myself, I wouldn't leave." Her brows furrowed, and Eden took a short breath before raising her face to look straight into his eyes. "Just tell me why, why is this so important? Why do you have to do it?"

Mello never answered, just lent forward to embrace her lips with his own. The kiss was slow, soft as were his arms that encircled her. It didn't make her understand, but Eden returned the affection all the same.

It might have been wrong, but in the sex that followed Eden thought of the girls still trapped in Argent's clutches. Eden thought of the pain, much worse than that which she had endured under the house's roof. She thought of the maliciousness, the utter immorality of Argent's acts. And, finally, she thought of Mello. She thought of the plans he couldn't explain to her; a purpose driven so deep inside of the man that he would stop at nothing, which he could convey to no one. Yes, Mello was a criminal... But what was she? A coward? A deserter?

No.

Mello slept with her, post coitis, in the bed for only a few hours; and even then it was a light sleep filled with troubled tossing. Still, it was enough for Eden to slip from the sheets and retrieve the gun from the pocket of his leather jacket. When the blonde awoke, the weapon was sleeping under the living room couch and he went back out into the night without noticing anything amiss.

With the roar of his motorcycle fading into the distance, Eden passed the gun from one hand to the other. Sitting on the couch in the empty apartment, the weapon felt especially heavy in her hands- weather weighted with bullets or with her thoughts, She could feel her resolve slowly solidifying. As she gripped the gold cross around her neck, a powerful feeling washing through her, Eden made up her mind with determination.

Argent had to die.

**...**

_I get up in the morning,_

_Put my dreams away,_

_I get up, I get up, I get up again._


	9. Werewolf Heart: Dead Man's Bones

**Chapter 9: Werewolf Heart**

_You'd look nice in a grave.  
>I smile at the moon; death is on my face<br>And if you wait too long,  
>Then you'll never see the dawn again<em>

**...**

Mello smirked, his eyes glued to the same screen as Ross's were. Despite the strange feeling impossible to shake from his shoulders, everything was going to plan. He couldn't help but picture Near's familiar, frustrated micro-expression; undoubtedly what was on his face at that very moment as he too watched the scene unfold on some other screen somewhere.

"You see it, don't you, Yagami?" Mello said in Japanese over the microphone connecting to the older man's wireless headset. "Enter from there" Mello stated as the police chief stared at the secret door to the missile silo.

Mello tapped a button nearby and the outside scene depicted on the screen changed to the second surveillance camera inside of the silo; technology courtesy of Matt, of course. Gunshots quickly rang out as the masked mafia member fired a round into the bulletproof glass that held Sayu captive.

"It's bulletproof glass, you understand" The masked man said, "Up until awhile ago, an associate used this area for some shady deals. We've made a few modifications." He explained. "Slide the notebook through this slot, and I'll release the handle. Both of us will then step back and swing the door, allowing you to retrieve your child and me the notebook. If you don't go through with this, I'll shoot your daughter from this other slot here" he finished, gun at the ready.

"Y462, begin" Mello stated calmly into the second mike, the one connecting to the masked man's wireless headset.

"Now, slide the notebook through the slot in the glass door to your left" The masked man said. Chief Yagami stepped forward, opening the book and doing as he was told. "Right, now I'll test it"

"Test it?" Yagami parroted, "You're going to kill someone?"

"We can't trade without testing it out. Do you want your daughter to die?" Asked the masked man.

Predictably, Yagami went silent and allowed the masked man to pull out a pen. Almost immediately after the ink was penned, Miller, a member to Mello's left, went down hard as he clutched his chest futilely.

"What's wrong? Are you alright, Miller?" A few of the men in the room asked, hurrying over to check his vitals.

"That's what you get when you steal and sell our drugs behind my back" Ross stated simply in response. "Don't bother with him, he was a worthless man. This is the first time he's ever been useful" he said, reaching forward to use the mike to speak to the masked man. "Y642, the target is dead"

Not one person in the room noticed the furrowing of Mello's brow as he took another bite from his chocolate bar. _Hah, so the notebook does kill people after all. Interesting, indeed. I wonder if the rest of the rumors about it are true? _He thought.

"Huh. It seems the notebook works" the masked man said onscreen. "Now, step back and we'll complete the exchange" With a begrudging growl, Chief Yagami again did as he was told.

"Place the notebook in the chamber" Mello ordered the masked man over the mike, watching the feed of the second camera to make sure he followed orders before switching to the first camera view of the outside.

The masked man made his way to the waiting helicopter, empty-handed as he was instructed. The diversion would provide more than enough time for the missile to power up, and the silo only opened once the helicopter was airborne. "Boss, I'm sure you were watching. I did everything perfectly, as I was instructed" Said the now unmasked man, his voice coming through the screen's speakers although they had no camera visual from inside the helicopter. After all, why destroy valuable equipment?

"Yes, good job" Ross said into the mike.

"So now my past mistakes will be wiped clean, right?" the man asked, hope in his voice.

"Yeah, I'll wipe them clean..." Ross said, "Do it!" he ordered.

With the click of a few keys of the software Matt had developed, the helicopter exploded into a mass of fire and rained wreckage and bits of charred gore onto the desert below.

It would be only mere minutes before the notebook would be in his hands; a lackey was already waiting at the missile's drop site-just 15 minutes away.

_I've done it_, Mello thought with satisfaction, _I've just outsmarted Near. Near, and the false L in one go. _He allowed himself a smirk, the remains of this chocolate bar resting on the table before him as he leaned back into the couch. The SPK would be the first to go.

**...**

The bus careened around the right turn, sending sunlight washing through it's interior. _How does this make me any different than Mello? He kills people on order, tortures them even!_ Eden thought, her mind swimming as she turned the gun over in her large hoodie's pocket. _But... Maybe we aren't so different. Maybe I really am the type of person that's a criminal. At the same time, while I can't honestly say that they deserved it, the world is better off without the people I've killed. Mello, on the other hand... Doesn't it bother him at all?_ Eden lifted her head up quickly as the bus chimed in indication of it's latest stop and, having missed it twice before, Eden promptly stood.

As the last rays of the sunset died in the sky, a figure ascended the pavement hill slowly. Determined, each step stronger than the last; a black-haired woman with bright red lipstick came closer to the house with each stride. The house itself was still, a silent and foreboding bystander for what was to come. The street was empty. The yard was solemn. The gravel walkway crunched under her feet.

Behind the solid wooden door was the unreadable face of her prison's former bodyguard, and in a gruff voice he said. "We've been looking for you, Edie"

**...**

Mello had never felt smugger and, after a celebration that more heavily involved gloating with his fellow mafia members, the blonde was headed to his hovel of an apartment. Which meant, having also downed all the obligatory liquor that the gang had shoved at him, Mello was walking.

_Shitty apartment_, he thought bitterly to himself before quickly rebuking his tone, _No. It's been looking better since Eden's been around. I guess it's a positive that she's more like a wife than a hooker._

Mello almost felt his boots screech with the ferocity of which he stopped his tracks so quickly. "What?" he exclaimed aloud, having been jarred by his own idle thoughts. Grunting, ignoring the stares of the few people on the sunset-illuminated sidewalk, Mello regained and hastened his pace towards the apartment.

"No more drinking," he muttered to himself, digging in his jacket pocket for a chocolate bar. "Sure as fuck, no more fucking drink-" Mello stopped himself, his hands scouring his jacket.

_My gun. _Mello thought rapidly, _Did one of the guys...? No, they have there own, why would they lift mine? The last time I had my jacket off besides the headquarters was at the apartment. Matt's gone, so it has to be Eden. But why in the hell would she want-? _Mello stopped himself once again, his shoulders suddenly feeling heavy.

"That idiot," Mello said aloud, "She wouldn't..."

_Eden's a good girl... Isn't she?_ Mello thought, _A preacher's daughter; granted, he wasn't an honorable preacher. But Eden; Eden knows right from wrong. Murder's a sin-but then, what am I doing?_

_Going to hell, that's what._ Some darker part of him bubbled quietly in his head, slipping through some sort of crack.

_Their's no other way, this is my only option, and if I have to go to hell-Well, I'm going for L._ Mello thought,_ Eden, Eden's going to go-and for what? Some scum?_

_It's already started._ His brain hissed. _She met me and then killed someone in cold blood. I'm cursed, that's it. I'm going to infect her with my sense of violence. If she kills Argent, what will happen?_

"Have I ruined her already?" Mello asked himself aloud.

**...**

Eden could feel the blood pumping in her ears as her ex-bodyguard led her through the main foyer and back towards Argent's offices. The house was different. Not in any visual way, but the dark hopelessness that shrouded the air before was now so pronounced that Eden was surprised she didn't choke on it. None of the girls that worked and lived in the house during Eden's time were visible. In fact, there weren't many girls out-and-about at all. The ones that were out occupied themselves with cleaning, and none of them looked at Eden when she passed.

When the door to Argent's office opened, Eden secretly clutched the gun in her hoodie pocket until her knuckles turned white. "I knew it," said Argent with an unsettlingly large grin. "A piece of shit like you has no hope of surviving on it's own" The bodyguard behind her shoved Eden inside and shut the door tightly behind her. "You're no better than an aborted fetus, are you? Although I'm surprised that it took this long for that boy who stole you to get tired of your useless cunt"

"I don't need to listen to this-" Eden was cut off quickly.

Argent's fingers were clawing through her hair, smashing her skull painfully against the wall as her former keeper painfully shoved her head into the surface. "You are a cheap, dirty, used up cunt" Argent spat at her. "And it will take more than some stupid pretty boy to make you forget it, I'll make sure of that. You deserve to hear every single word that comes out of my mouth because you've earned it for wasting my fucking time" Eden's entire head throbbed and her eyes watered from the pain of her captor's vice-like grip. "You are, and forever will be, mine. Do you hear me? No matter how many dicks you fuck, Eden, none of them will ever want you! Why? Because you're a whore, Eden. You're nothing more than a dirty tramp!" Argent threw her to the ground.

Eden smacked harshly against the floor, rolling up into a reflexive ball as Argent came to retrieve her. "And we all know I sell tramps, Eden!" Argent continued. "So I'm going to make damn sure that your schedule is so full of dick that you'll die on your knees like the bitch you are!" with that, Argent's hand hovered in the air pre-strike-freezing as Argent herself made sense of the image below her.

"I'm done!" Eden yelled through her copious tears, shakily holding up the gun. "I'm done listening to what people like you have to say! I'm done running away from my problems! I don't care if this makes me guilty, or if I've been guilty from the first time I pulled a trigger!" Eden leveled the gun barrel at Argent, properly lining her up with the metal gun sight. "If I'm a murderer, at least I kill people like you" she finished quietly as the shot rang out.

The bullet embedded itself into the drywall behind Argent, and before Eden could line up another shot she was pinned under Argent's tackle. "Poor stupid slut, you can't get anything right, can you?" the older woman hissed, punching Eden square in the jaw with her heavy rings painfully breaking skin.

"Bitch!" Eden howled, half sobbing as she grappled Argent for the gun.

Argent managed to tear the gun from her, and although her eyes were foggy with tears, Eden could still clearly see her smug smile as the older woman held her face by the chin. "You always were a dumbass, weren't you?" Argent said as she clocked Eden another good one across her face. "You just have to fight, huh? Well haven't you figured out by now that it's no damn use!" another burst of pain bloomed through her face and Eden dimly registered blood trickle from her mouth with a cough. "You'll never kill me, Eden, because you're no good for anything other than a warm hole!" A sharp pistol-whip sent Eden sprawling to the floor.

With her eyes so hazy, her mouth and nose clogged with blood, Eden let out an undeterminable garble against the floor. "Oh, are you in pain? You never thought I'd hurt any of you, did you? Well, let me tell you a story" Argent leaned in close to her ear as she whispered. "After you left, I gave those tramps hell. Anyone that knew your face was whipped, those that talked to you were raped, and the ones stupid enough to oppose me were beaten. No one goes against me, Eden. I'll make an example out of you" As Argent yanked her up by her hair; Eden spit blood onto her face.

The gun dropped to the floor and fired a shot into the nearby cabinet. It was at that exact second that the bodyguard entered the room, disorienting Argent enough to allow Eden to dive for the gun. "No!" Eden yelled and fired rapidly at the bodyguard before sending him to the ground immediately, gun in hand.

Argent's eyes skittered back and forth like a rodent; eyeing the gun of the dead bodyguard and the one clutched in Eden's hands. "Go on, shoot me" Argent said bitterly. "Even if you do kill me, you'll still be a tramp. It's exactly what filth like you deserve to be. Do you want me to say I'm sorry? I took in a little girl that would have died on the streets and I gave her food and shelter. You should be happy I didn't let you die. And this is the thanks I get? I taught you skills, gave you something useful. I made you into a woman, Eden!" she screeched. "So, kill me! Shoot me, already!"

Staring blankly, Eden's finger hovered over the trigger as she held the gun solidly with both hands. "I wish I could just shoot you" Eden said. "But that would be too good for something as disgusting as you are"

**...**

Dawn was rising by the time Mello found her, and the way the sunlight framed the flames was haunting. There were a lot of girls crowded in the front yard; some dressed in hand-me-down rags, some in indecent lingerie. It wasn't hard to pick out Eden from the mass. There was only one girl clutching the gold cross around her neck and whispering a prayer into the ashes of the burning house.

As Mello's arms encircled her, Eden stopped praying and focused on the feeling of his comforting weight against her. It was un-explainable, the warmth that coated her as soon as she felt his chest pressed against her. "Figured it out too late, huh?" Eden said quietly into this jacket. "Whatever punishment you want to give me for this, I'll take. I know I did this without asking you, but I had to"

It wasn't until his leather-glove-coated hand rose to brush away her tears that Eden realized she was crying. "I understand" he said simply, patting her head lightly as he spoke. As the sun rose over the fire, Mello held Eden close; his grip tightening as did the bond between them. Deep down, Mello had a feeling. Maybe, he wasn't so alone in this after all.

**...**_  
>There's gold in my heart,<br>But the winds took my sails through the dark,  
>And if you wait too long,<br>then you'll never see the dawn again._


	10. I Follow Rivers: Lykke Li

_Oh I beg you, can I follow?  
><em>_Oh I ask you, why not always?  
><em>_Be the ocean, where I unravel  
><em>_Be my only, be the water where I'm wading.  
><em>_You're my river running high,  
><em>_Run deep, run wild._

**…**

Eden slowly flicked the light on and off in the closet, the bright glow making her wince with every illumination. The small, cheap alarm clock by her empty bed beamed a determined "3:00 AM" throughout the room with its red digits. She wanted to sleep, she really did, but every time she closed her eyes Eden heard Argent. Specifically, one line wouldn't let her exhausted brain rest.

"_You are, and forever will be, mine. Do you hear me? No matter how many dicks you fuck, Eden, none of them will ever want you! Why? Because you're a whore, Eden. You're nothing more than a dirty tramp!" _Eden's mind repeated, just as if Argent were once again screaming it at her.

Trembling, Eden allowed her body to slump down the doorjamb until she was in a fetal position on the floor. _Stop thinking about it, she was wrong. An evil person, _She thought.

"_You always were a dumbass, weren't you? You'll never kill me, Eden, because you're no good for anything other than a warm hole!"_

"Shut up" Eden said quietly, squeezing her eyes shut and allowing her tears to flow freely. _Argent has known you almost all of your pathetic life, and the entire time she's degraded and humiliated you. It's bullshit. Everything that ever came out of her mouth, it was all—_

"_I'm surprised that it took this long for that boy who stole you to get tired of your useless cunt"_

"SHUT UP!" Eden shouted through tears, slamming her fist into the drywall and cracking away the cheap plaster; creating a large hole just beside the closet door.

"Whoa, what the hell?" came a familiar gruff, but concerned, voice from the bedroom doorway.

Flustered and still sprouting tears, Eden turned slowly to face Mello. "I'm sorry" she said, wiping her tear-stained face. "I'm—I've—It's just…" Eden paused, taking a deep breath, "Is everything okay? I haven't seen you for a few days"

Mello stared blankly at her for a few seconds before he crossed the room and sat on the bed, motioning for her to sit beside him as he began to take off his boots. "Work is heating up right now. Want to talk to me about the new rat hole in the wall?" he asked, glancing at her in between untying his laces.

"By heating up you mean…?" Eden tried to appear the least concerned possible. "The cops have started sniffing around you guys, or…?"

"Please, we have more cops under our thumb than the commissioner does. Besides, just a hint, when I give you a surface answer, it's the nice way of saying mind your own damn business" Mello shot out, his frown deepening as Eden flinched. He sighed, "I mean, look you're not getting anywhere near my place of work anymore. Not to mention, you're never touching another gun. So, none of it is your concern. End of conversation"

Eden snorted, shaking her head. "Yeah, okay, I get it" she stated, rising from the bed hurriedly. However, before she could exit the room, Mello caught her by the wrist.

"Wait" Mello said, "You know that's not what I meant. Sit down, come on"

"Can I ask you something, and actually get an honest answer?" said Eden, returning to her seat.

"Hmm?" Mello grunted, returning his focus to his boot.

Eden fidgeted, "Why am I here?" when Mello gave her a questionable look, Eden continued. "Sorry, I mean—Not existentialism, like 'why am I here?', I mean 'Why am I here', with you?" In the moments that followed, Eden could feel her heart racing inside her chest and something in her beginning to panic. "It's not like I'm really of any use, I clean sometimes, but I'm really just a burden on you and—"

Mello's stoic eyes cut into her and ripped her thoughts right out of her head as his rough hand gently cupped her face. Tenderly, he dragged his thumb across her bottom lip. "You…" he began, as if about to speak, before he resolutely closed his mouth and brought his lips to hers instead.

Her eyes fluttered shut instinctively, and slowly she felt her body fold into his. Everything about the blonde possessed her as his long fingers wrapped around her shoulders. When an impatient whimper escaped her mouth, he suddenly shifted—one hand buried in her smooth hair; mussing it and pulling her further into his intoxication at the same time.

Eden could feel the heat on her face and rapid rhythm of her heartbeat in her ears as she allowed Mello to gently ease her back on the bed, the blonde looming over her. "It's been too long, hasn't it?" Mello said playfully, smirking heartily at her flushed features.

"Well, I know how important your work is to you, and I can be patient" she replied bashfully, her voice already ragged from his attentions.

The stare she received in return was serious and hard for a second before it once again burned up into lustful amusement. "Let's see just how patient you can be," Mello said deviously, his smirk larger.

He bent over her, making her squirm in spite of the fact that both of them were fully clothed; the painfully light friction between their bodies was enough to make Goosebumps rise on her skin. As Eden shakily inhaled a breath, Mello's lips exhaled one agonizingly close to the tender skin of her neck; his mouth not even half a centimeter away, ready to strike. When she let out a gasp, it was all the motivation he needed to promptly assault her neck with kisses.

"You tease" Eden managed to say, husky and severed by a whimper. He knew exactly where and how to strike her weak points, making it effortless to break her down.

Gently, he groped her breast before harshly tweaking her nipple; rewarding himself with a hiss of pleasure from the flushed girl writhing under him. Pausing at the crook of her neck again, his breath pooled deliciously a top her skin as he made his decision to pursue her sensitive ear rather than her collarbone—both of which drove her equally fast towards submissiveness. As much as Mello enjoyed her occasional dominance in bed, it was far more enjoyable to watch her squirm.

And squirming she was, his teasing of her earlobe with his tongue was driving her to the brink. She whined impatiently. Eden didn't hate foreplay, in fact she preferred it, but Mello already had her desperate for release and he had yet to touch her in the one place she wanted it the most.

He kissed a trail from her neck to her collarbone, gently biting the exposed skin before moving down to the prominent nipples in her t-shirt, which he also gently applied his teeth to. "P-Please?" Eden whined in spite of herself, nearly drooling.

Mello's smirk wavered slightly as he looked up at her, his own arousal starting to show through the cracks in his expression. "What was that?" he asked coyly.

"God dammit" Eden said, exasperated. She arched her back; a clear effect from Mello's fingertips lightly tracing the skin just below her bellybutton, "Please, please, don't tease me anymore!"

"You have no idea," said Mello, leaning over her and growling into her ear, "How much fun it is to watch you tremble" And with that, his teeth bit gently into her neck.

Eden gasped, followed by a guttural groan. "Please, please, please" she urged rapidly as she grabbed one of his hands and dragged it towards the hemline of her t-shirt. She could feel his will start to break, as much as he wanted to tease her, Eden knew her reaction was getting to him. Her lips were red and plump from biting, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes half-lidded and moist with desperate tears; "Please, Mello, I need you"

And that was all she had to say.

**…**

Looking at the ceiling, the two of them laid in the bed. Eden spoke first, comfortably tucked into Mello's shoulder. "So, why don't you want me to know about your work?" she asked.

Mello sighed and began to get up from the bed, automatically making Eden frown as he began to re-dress. "You're in over your head" he stated.

Eden sat on her knees, the thin sheet gathered around her naked form. "Wait a second, what the hell does that mean?" she asked, feeling her anger bubble up with ease. Once again, Mello was going to fuck her and then run off to the gang.

"It means exactly what it sounded like. Stop asking questions you don't want to know the answer to" Mello retorted grumpily, slipping on his leather pants and walking out the doorway into the kitchenette.

"I'm still talking to you!" Eden exclaimed, following him with the sheet haphazardly wrapped around her. "If I didn't want to know, I wouldn't ask. You spend almost every waking minute there, and if you haven't noticed I kinda give a shit. I know it's something dangerous, otherwise you would just tell me so I'd stop asking. So, what is it? Are you in trouble?"

Mello wearily relived a chocolate bar of its wrapper, "Look, the last time I took you to the headquarters, you shot someone—that's on me. I'm not putting you in a similar situation again. Honestly, the less you know the better" he said.

"Seriously?" Eden stated in disbelief. "That's what this is about? Aside from the fact that he earned that bullet, you weren't the one that pulled the trigger. I don't need you to protect me, I can do it myself. You don't have to worry about me!"

He fixed her with a hollow stare, something saddening the corner of his eyes as he spoke. "It's not you I'm worried about" _It's what I'm doing to you that worries me_, he finished in his thoughts, _You aren't a killer, you aren't like me. You can't be. The world doesn't deserve another one._

Eden hesitated, shocked by his words. "You… You're afraid I'll kill someone else?" she asked quietly.

Mello pushed away his thoughts, swallowing her bitterness. "No, it's not—" he said, but was cut off almost as soon as the words left his lips.

"You're lying!" Eden exclaimed angrily. "Look, I know I've done some serious shit lately, but that's no reason to keep me locked up in this box!" she said, motioning to the small apartment around her. "I just want to help you, instead of lying around here being useless. No one's looking for me anymore, there's no reason why I have to stay here!"

He felt her hit a nerve, the twinge of guilt he felt in himself for letting Eden descend to his level; letting her get blood on her hands. "Then why are you?" he asked coldly, almost in physical pain as he felt his chest throb at the sight of her crushed expression.

"I thought…" Eden trailed off before shaking herself out of the abused expression and into a furious one. "Stop jerking me around, Mello! Do you want me here, or do you want me to leave?" she nearly shouted, once again feeling tears well up in her eyes. "What the hell am I to you? I'm completely transparent to you, in spite of literally and figuratively stripping down in front of you. I've entirely poured myself into this, into you—and you just leave me waiting here? When are you going to tell me what this is for you?"

Time seemed to slow down in that second. Mello knew what would happen; if he said he wanted her, she would stay. But, if he told her to leave… she would be free of him. The only problem was; he wasn't entirely sure he could let her go. He stared at her; the beautiful sex-mussed dark hair, porcelain face absent of makeup—the face she'd only let him see the vulnerable-ness of. In spite of that, he knew she was tough; that she could take it.

"Go" was all he said as he crossed the room to her, stuffing a crumpled 100$ into her palm.

As he returned to the bedroom to assemble the rest of his clothing, he heard her knees hit the ground behind him. Something in him strained painfully as he kept his back turned, closing the door on her wet sobs.

It was better this way. It was better alone.

**…**

_You're my river running high,__  
><em>_Run deep, run wild.__  
><em>_I, I follow, I follow you.__  
><em>_Deep sea baby, I follow you.__  
><em>_I, I follow, I follow you.__  
><em>_Dark doom honey, I follow you._


	11. I Love You Like A Mountain: Timbre Timbr

_Oh, the mountain top,__  
><em>_Oh the bleeding stop,__  
><em>_And down goes the hatchet, chopping block,__  
><em>_'Cause I love you like a mountain  
><em>**…**

Eden's feet hit the sidewalk heavily with abysmal intentions; her stature as defeated as her thoughts. _Argent was right all along, _she thought while adjusting one of Matt's tattered backpacks on her shoulder. _Mello never wanted me for anything other than convenient sex, and I'm an absolute idiot to have thought anything otherwise. It's the same story as any of those other men. No one wants to fall in love with a piece of trash, and that's all I'll ever be. _She contemplated the wadded bill still in her hand, her tears returning at the sight of it. _Hey, at least in the end he still paid me. _She thought bitterly, wondering if she would ever have a life where a man would give her anything substantial aside from cash._ Just once, _she thought_, I want someone to hold my hand._

The sudden ring of her phone made her jump and, surprised, Eden retrieved the black cell phone she'd once used regularly. "Hello?" she answered, looking up at the cloudy sky after a single raindrop hit her nose. _Shit, it's about to pour_, she thought fleetingly.

Heavy breathing was the only thing occupying the other line, immediately pissing Eden off. Was it one of her ex-clients? Didn't he know Argent was dead? Didn't he know Eden had left? "Who the hell is this?" she demanded.

No response.

"Look, sicko, I don't do this bullshit anymore, never call me again or I'll call the cops!" Eden ignored the stares she got from the dwindling passerby on the street, but felt her embarrassment rising all the same.

Still, the labored breathing continued.

"I'm hanging up, perv!" Eden said, furiously.

"Don't" said the quiet, strained voice.

Eden felt her anger dissipate immediately, shock stopping her blood cold. "Mello? Are you okay?" she asked. She now realized that the heavy breathing was actually short, labored gasps.

"I'm... Something happened. I'm in a lot of pain. They were chasing me, and a-and… I can't remember. I…" His voice was raspy, weak, and stretched thin under the weight of his injuries.

"Shh, where are you?" Eden asked; panic thrumming lightning-quick through her body as she spoke. _Please, please, please don't let him die. Not like this. Please_, she thought, her fingers clutching the cross still safely clasped around her neck.

"I… I fucked up, Eden" Mello said, his voice strange and watery. The emotion sounded foreign and entirely unsuitable on him. "The headquarters, I-I…"

"I'm on my way" she assured, "don't move." Eden didn't pause to contemplate what it meant to come to his aide, or why he'd even chosen to call her of all people. She didn't care—the important thing was that he needed her, and that notion focused her attention on one thing; finding a bus across town to headquarters.

Once on course, Eden tried not to debate weather praying for Mello was futile or not. If anything, holding the cross and bowing her head kept her thoughts busy and made her tears subside. Still, nothing stopped the fear crashing nervously inside of her—what if she didn't find him alive? What if he'd already bled out? What if he'd died alone? _I'd never forgive myself_, she thought.

**…**

The rubble of the base wrecked her; the hope that Mello was somehow still alive was the only thing that kept her going. It was the only thing strong enough to make her search through the concrete chunks, glass shrapnel, and bodies. Bodies... They were everywhere, and few were ones she recognized.

"MELLO!" she choked desperately on her knees, covered in ashes and clawing desperately through the charred mess. "MELLO, PLEASE! ANSWER ME!" her heart shriveled in her chest from the silence; no response save the wind and rain swirling in the cloudy sunset. The pleasant air felt mocking and offensive against her tears.

"Eden" she heard, weakly coming from under a heavy metal desk and pile of electronic equipment.

She launched toward the wreckage, shoving the objects aside carelessly. "I can hear you! I'm here! I'm here!" Eden repeated frantically, tears over pouring and joining with the warm rainfall streaming down her face. At last, she could see skin under the refuse. Well, what was once skin. Eden felt her stomach heave, but fought back the reaction.

"They got it" Mello stated, seemingly delirious. "They have the note"

Eden was overcome, a flood of tears obscuring her vision as she mourned at the sight of him. It was hard to tell what skin was and what was burnt wreckage; his body was charred and bloody as well as covered in ash. "W-what? Don't worry about that now, everything's going to be okay" she blubbered. "Okay? Mello, everything's okay."

His face twitched, from what she could tell, into a softer expression. "I know. You came" he said, "I didn't want you to leave. I was just trying to make it right. I'm glad you're back" his cough wracked his whole body and caused him to groan in pain.

She pushed back the thought of their painful shouting match, "I'm sorry about all of that. It doesn't matter. Now stop talking" Eden said, trying to get a grip on herself. Her hands shook as she carefully removed the rubble from around his body.

"No, I'm sorry" Mello said, almost desperately, causing Eden to stop and stare at him. For some reason, his behavior only alarmed her more. "Please stay. Please, don't leave me alone" he pleaded, allowing his face to hide from her in the shadows the rising moonlight created.

Eden fought back another sob as she knelt over him. _Why is he acting like this?_ She thought; worry barely overriding the panic in her body. _Is Mello… Is he going to die?_

The rainy wind shrouded them both in momentary silence. "I'll never leave you again" she whispered, "I promise, cross my heart and hope to…" Eden stared into his clouded fearful eyes, usually so bright and blue, before gently kissing his forehead. "I need your phone. I need to call Matt" she said, knowing that if anything the redhead would at least help her get her bearings and save Mello.

After the blonde handed her the device, she quickly pushed Matt's auto-dial number. The phone rang once, then twice, before he picked up. "Yeah?" Matt said, clearly annoyed.

At the sound of his voice, Eden felt her emotions explode into a terrified panic. _How the hell am I going to do this? I've never saved someone's life! There's no way I can handle this! _ "MATT! Thank god!" Eden shouted, desperately trying to scramble her nerves together once again so she could speak.

"Fuck!" Matt cursed, probably holding the phone away from his ear now. "Eden? It's like noon here, I was sleeping. What is it? Where's Mello?"

Eden felt herself starting to panic again before she forced it down. "Lying in the smoking rubble of headquarters. I have no idea what he fucking did, but he's hurt bad. What the h-hell do I d-d-do?" she asked, her voice shaking even though she fought hard to keep it an even tone.

"Fuck!" he cursed for the second time. "Fuck him and his crazy fucking plans! How the hell did he get himself into this!? Bloody fucking hell" Matt took a deep breath, and seemed to calm down. "This is what we're going to do. This guy in the gang, Frankie—"

"I don't think that's an option" Eden said, "Mello's the only one I've found alive"

"FUCK!" Matt shouted. "Shit. Take him to the hospital, ask for Doctor Avery. He's the one that you were treated by when you ran into traffic"

"Are you fucking insane?!" Eden replied. "The guy Mello pointed a fucking gun at?!"

"It's been weeks since that happened, and nothing about it's been reported to the police. If the doc's got a heart big enough to keep that a secret, he'll help you now" Matt stated matter-of-factly. "Just trust me, I know people"

Eden gave herself a moment to breathe before answering. "I really hope you're right, Matt. Call you when we get there" she said.

When she hung up the phone and turned to face Mello once again she nearly fainted. Having had most of the rubble cleared away from the area imprisoning him, Mello was trying to stand on his own; causing more of the ashes to stir up and rest in his wet, bloody wound. "Wait, Mel—" Eden began, but was cut off almost as soon as she spoke.

"I have to talk to him now, there's no other way" Mello grunted as he moved. "God dammit! That little twerp" he continued to mutter.

Eden felt her throat constricting, more tears threatening to obscure her vision. _What the fuck is he talking about?!_ She thought in a panic, _Has he lost too much blood? Is he delirious? Oh god, he's dying isn't he? Fuck! Why else would he be so—_ She stopped herself abruptly, shaking her head. _Stop it, you've got to focus if you're going to get him to the hospital._

Mello's hand was on her shoulder suddenly, and Eden tried to ignore the way he leaned heavily on her. "We need to go, I have to call Matt to get us the plane tickets, but he should be able to get it done quickly enough that we—" he was cut short by Eden interrupting him.

"Listen to me for a second," Eden said. "I don't know how, but I'm going to get you to a doctor. You can either fight me or you can shut up and do what I tell you—"

"Okay" Mello said quietly—and that was it; no confrontation, no argument, no chain of profanity from his scowling lips. He allowed her to support him with an arm at his waist, and they slowly hobbled out of the remains of his empire.

**…**

Eden didn't bother attempting to hide Mello' critical condition as they entered the receiving ER doors, she simply marched up to the desk and stared the clerk dead in the eye. "Get me Doctor Avery, now" she demanded, something in her stance dominant enough that the clerk walked them right through the doors and into a sterile room.

Mello immediately took to the metal table, staining most of the hospital paper with blood and ashes as he did so. "How did this happen?" Eden asked, her voice small and frail as she spoke. The adrenaline of the situation had seeped out of her almost instantaneously as they crossed the threshold into the room; all she was left with were her feelings of confusion and abandonment from his rough dismissal.

"My contingency plan," he said, interrupted with a wince of pain. "-wasn't exactly a smooth one. They invaded the headquarters, it was all I could do to try and destroy the Death Note. I admit that I wasn't thinking about the personal consequences. My face feels like it's on fire."

Eden was silent, reluctant to tell him the extent of his injuries. His face could be scarred forever. "It's more than personal, you know. If you'd died I—"

"You'd _what_?" he suddenly snapped bitterly. "Don't pretend that you care about a worthless mistake like me"

"I love you!" Eden shouted furiously, tears once again pricking at the corners of her eyes. "I've always loved you, don't you understand?!" she couldn't even bring herself to make eye contact with him; her entire being was reduced to shaky legs and a sea of tears. "You're the only person who's ever even tried to understand me. If you'd died I'd have no one left. I want to be yours, I want to stay with you, please don't—" her words broke with a sob and her next sentence held more emotion that she liked. "Please don't push me away again"

A silence hung between them like the vast chasm of alien emotions worming themselves through his heart. "You could do so much better than loving me," Mello finally said, his words cold and full of dark memories. "All I'm ever going to do is hurt you"

Eden rested her eyes on the complexity of his face. "My hearts already broken," she said, "You're the only one that can overlook that"

For the first time, she was positive it was a smile that worked its way across Mello's face. "I love you too" he whispered before his head lolled and fell back against the table.

Panicked, she burst into the hall. "He's not breathing!" she shouted, her relief at the sight of Dr. Avery so miniscule it was immediately drowned out by her worry.

Dr. Avery rushed into the room, his hand immediately checking for a pulse before expelled breath under Mello's nose. "He's alive; the pain was probably too much for him. It's a miracle he made it here, the nerve damage is devastating." Avery said. "I'll take care of him; wait for me in the parking lot. Oh," he added, "and you better thank your friend Matt for convincing me to help this poor bastard"

Eden nodded appreciatively, stealing a last worried glance at Mello before exiting the room. She hated waiting. It made her too nervous.

**…**

Three hours, a call to Matt, and a pack of empty cigarettes at her feet later, Eden jumped up from the curb as Dr. Avery and a huddled figure emerged from the employee entrance. "Is he okay?" she asked as soon as they were within earshot.

"Okay? No, he's not" Dr. Avery said. "but he'll live—as long as he gets bed rest until his body heals, that is" he pushed a box of gauze and bandages into her hands. "Change the dressing once a day, and never call me again. I don't know how your people sought me out after our last encounter, but I don't want any of this. I have a family, understand?"

"Yes sir" Eden said, firmly meeting the Doctor's eyes as she spoke sincerely, "thank you"

And with that, she was left with a dozing, half-lucid Mello leaning heavily on her. "Hey, we need to get to the airport now" Mello's words stumbled out languidly, probable effects of a heavy pain medication.

"We most definitely are not," Eden said, "We're going home and there's nothing you can do about it"

Mello's responding lopsided smile was dopey in combination with his half-lidded eyes. "How can you take care of me? How can you love me?" he asked quietly, his smile slipping into a confused, depressed expression. He leaned into her as if telling a secret, "No one ever has before"

Eden felt her chest twinge with sympathetic pain. Where she had been given a suffocating excess of bodily love, as tainted as it was, Mello had somehow survived on none altogether. How was it possible that no one had ever seen in him what she had? He shined brilliantly, stood out alarmingly different from the rest of the dull-eyed population; bursting at the seams with a potent ego and confident gait. Mello may have dirty hands, commonly dressing himself with a smirk full of secrets, easily carrying a shroud of persuasive tactics on his shoulders—Yes, he was a dangerously potent chemical awaiting a violent reaction. But there was more, there was the Mello that she'd seen ultimately frustrated, hopelessly berating himself and his wrong turns. More than excitement, more than the danger he soaked himself in—was a man she wanted to love, a man that needed at least one connection to a world that wasn't cold. The second she'd met him, Eden had felt him take ahold of her; she'd wanted to be at his side since the moment she looked into his hardened eyes.

How could anyone resist falling in love with him?

An exhausted grin worked itself across her face. "It's not like I had a choice," she said seriously. "You made me do it"

Mello laughed, it was a tired sound, but—for once-it was a real one that came from a real place, and that was good enough for Eden.

**…**

_Oh, the human race,__  
><em>_Oh, the devil's face,__  
><em>_And all god's creatures find their place__  
><em>_'Cause i love you like a mountain__  
><em>_i love you like a mountain__  
><em>_i love you like a mountain_


End file.
